Security Council Open Debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict, April 2013

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

On April 17th, the UN Security Council held a day-long debate on Sexual Violence in Conflict under the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Member States discussed the Secretary-General's annual report (S/2013/149) followed by briefings by the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Zainab Bangura, his Special Representative on sexual violence. Additionally, Saran Keita Diakite – the President of the Women, Peace and Security Network of the ECOWAS region, Mali – spoke on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. The meeting was presided by Louise Mushikiwabo, the Foreign Minister of Rwanda.

The debate featured 60 statements. Overall, it was less politically contentious than the previous debate on sexual violence in conflict (February 2012). Statements discussed some new elements such as references to the gender criterion in the recently adopted Arms Trade Treaty. The frequently mentioned fragile states were Syria, Mali, DRC, South Sudan and Somalia. Although there was no outcome document of this meeting, the debate seems to be a starting point for a possible Security Council resolution later this year.

Briefings

The Secretary-General statement pointed out that sexual violence does not only have horrific consequences for the individuals but impacts whole communities and countries. He urged States to address sexual violence in all ceasefire agreements. The Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, reminded us of the use of rape a weapon and deliberate tactic of war. She emphasized the necessity to shift the paradigm from victim-blaming to being perpetrator-focused. She further echoed the Secretary-General statement underlining that Member States must bear the primary responsibility for sexual violence. The role of the Security Council should be a complementary one, stated Ms. Bangura.

Ms. Saran Keita Diakite, who spoke on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, addressed key areas where the progress is most urgent, including women's participation and gender equality, response, accountability and resourcing. She highlighted the importance of the emphasized on prevention as the best approach we have to end the violence against women.

The statement by Argentina deserves particular attention. It was a good example of critical employment of a gender perspective into combating sexual violence. As Maria Perceval stated on behalf of Argentinian representation, “the participation of women is the best protection.” Ms. Diakite also emphasized the importance of women's participation in achieving sustainable peace and prosperity.

A number of Member States stressed the importance of preventive efforts that should take priority when it comes to combating sexual violence. However, only a small number of States (the United States, Pakistan, France, Luxembourg, Australia, Rwanda and others) specifically highlighted the role of women in the conflict prevention and postconflict peacebuilding. These states urged for a greater participation of women especially in security system: police, military and peacekeeping.

Security Council Mechanisms & UN

Although both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Special Representative Zainab Bangura stressed the national responsibility to protect civilians, many states called upon the Security Council to strengthen its accountability mechanisms and involve a more systematic approach to sexual violence in conflict. The statements included references to the monitoring mechanisms established under Resolution 1960 (2010), the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, Women's Protection Advisers and the Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangements (MARA). Finally, most speakers insisted on better training of peacekeepers in regard to sexual violence.

Justice and the Rule of Law

The majority of Member States highlighted the need to address impunity and bring the perpetrators of sexual violence to justice. The speakers agreed that sexual violence must be better addressed both at national and international level. At national level, noticing that sexual violence is extremely underreported, many speakers supported the strengthening of national judicial system on the one hand, and to work to destigmatize sexual violence, on the other, so that the victims can access justice without being excluded. At international level, Lichtenstein, France, Togo, Luxembourg, Australia and others referred to International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law and International Criminal Court mechanisms.

In addition, many emphasized the necessity of health services for victims of sexual violence, including safe abortion for women who got pregnant as a result of rape. Several statement also referred to the G8 Foreign Ministers' outcome statement (April 11th).

Other

Several speakers referred to the agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women which emphasizes that in order to end violence against women, we have to address the root causes. Programs that aim to combat sexual violence must therefore address the link between the occurrence of SGBV and the extraction of natural resources.

Following Secretary-General's report several speakers mentioned sexual violence against men and boys. Forced pregnancy, female genital mutilation and forced marriages were also addressed. The zero tolerance of misconduct by peacekeepers did not receive much attention. The role of women's civil society organizations was not emphasized, either.

Lastly, in spite of the generally positive reception of this Security General's report, a few countries, including Syria and Colombia, criticized it for inaccurate sources and selective data.

Please choose

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, together with other Council resolutions, signified and still represents a huge breakthrough. In that resolution, the Council recognized the fundamental role that women played in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding. It underlined the importance of effective and equal participation by women in the maintenance of peace and security and the need to include women, under equal conditions, in decision-making processes for the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

It is also true that the general needs of women must be recognized, as that is fundamental in meeting the specific diverse and multifaceted needs of women. We must understand the local and cultural context, which is crucial to understanding and responding to conflict- related violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We cannot explain why sexual violence against women and sexist and gender-based violence has occurred with growing and overwhelming frequency in armed conflicts, unless we also add to the equation the inequality between men and women, gender stereotypes and the reproduction of hierarchical and discriminatory relationships in which women find themselves materially subordinate and symbolically devalued in various times and cultures.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Women do not become victims by virtue of who they are, or as the result of nature or fate. Women are particularly susceptible to becoming victims of violence in conflict most especially because we are already victims of discrimination during peaceful times.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

It is apposite, because as we have seen in recent conflicts, specific and systematic forms of sexual violence are carried out against women, young women and girls. In that connection, I would like to share with the Council the testimony of a social activist who, for the simple act of thinking and saying that the world is unjust and unequal, was disappeared, tortured and raped during the recent civilian military dictatorship in my country. “During torture, one discovered that we had resources to withstand very high thresholds of pain, somehow to survive and to live. However, rape is something else. It affects other elements — and they know it because, in addition to the evident, there is an immeasurable amount of inner pain that is not seen like the bruises left by the blows or the burns from the electric shocks, but it is there. It is as if one's body freezes or becomes that of another person, not only at the time but for ever, for life.” We have made progress in jurisprudence. We have made progress in recognizing rights. We must now bring about real equality and the effective eradication of all forms of violence against women.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Time does not permit me to outline all the initiatives undertaken by my Government, but I note that Rwanda adopted a national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000) in 2010 and is a party to the Kampala Declaration of the First Ladies on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence of the 2011 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Country

France

Extracts

France, within the framework of its national action plan for implementing resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security, is financing anti-violence programmes in six countries in Africa and the Arab world being implemented by UN-Women. The staff we are sending abroad from our country are trained in issues of sexual violence, and we support the integration of gender issues in peacekeeping schools in Africa.

Country

France

Extracts

The Council can be assured of our commitment and determination in promoting and defending the rights of women and girls throughout the world, as well as in implementing resolutions on women, peace and security.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

There is an inextricable connection between women's treatment in peacetime and their treatment in conflict. As Special Representative Bangura put it recently: “If women are seen as second-class citizens in peacetime, their rights will not be respected when there is unrest. If they are viewed as unimportant before war breaks out, they will be treated as expendable during conflict”.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Over the years, the Security Council has paid close attention to the cause of protecting the human rights of vulnerable groups in situations of armed conflict. The issue of women and peace and security has been integrated into the Council's country-specific resolutions. That increased emphasis has resulted in a normative framework that is reflected in a series of resolutions on women and children, as well as the creation of the posts of special representatives of the Secretary-General to deal with the issues of children and sexual violence. The Secretary-General has reflected those concerns in various reports. Over time, communication among the field offices, the Secretariat and the Council has also improved.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Such mechanisms and measures have provided relief and justice to the affected populations, but it is a long haul. In that context, we support Special Representative Bangura's call to all parties to conflicts to immediately put an end to violence against women and make specific, time-bound commitments to ensure the non-recurrence of such acts, under the appropriate monitoring mechanisms.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The six-point priority agenda of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a good way to address impunity, empower women to seek redress, strengthen the international political response and foster national ownership. Moreover, the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will meaningfully address the plight of women and will elevate their status to equal partners in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, post-conflict reconstruction, peace and security. Women should participate in recovery and peacebuilding, as well as transitional justice systems.

Country

Togo

Extracts

First, we should seek to promote a change in the sociocultural behaviour of men towards women. We should eradicate preconceptions, customs and traditions and all other practices based on the idea that women are inferior, which have led to their being used as objects during periods of armed conflict.

Extracts

Country

Togo

Extracts

Thirdly, we should promote or regularly conduct, at all levels, campaigns and programmes to increase the awareness and understanding among the public at large of the different forms and consequences of the various forms of violence against women, especially sexual violence, which has serious consequences for women, society and development.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

We welcome the report (S/2012/732) of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Council's resolutions on women and peace and security and the recommendations contained therein. We note positively the further establishment of the monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence. We also welcome the continued and systematic deployment of women's protection advisers. The European Union supports the swift deployment of human rights observers in Mali by the African Union and the United Nations and provides financial support for the deployment of independent human rights observers. The European Union training mission in Mali will include training on gender and human rights.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union continues to implement its dedicated policy on women, peace and security adopted in 2008. The European Union support to various initiatives related to women, peace and security amounts to approximately €200 million a year. The European Union is envisaging increased funding for prevention and response efforts, such as programming to combat gender-based violence, including sexual violence, from the first phase of conflict and in humanitarian emergencies.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union now has gender advisors and/or human rights focal points in each of its crisis management missions and operations throughout the world. We continue our work on specific training modules on human rights and gender in crisis management, while ensuring a focus on sexual violence in armed conflicts. We continue to work closely with UN-Women and support initiatives to ensure greater participation by women in peacebuilding and post- conflict planning.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Less than a week ago, I am pleased to say, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of Eight in London adopted a declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict, which explicitly seeks to carry forward resolution 1325 (2000) and its successors, and contributes to the normative framework of resolutions on children and armed conflict. That declaration rightly recalls once again that the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children are at the foundation of our fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Council's work on the issue of women and peace and security, including in the area of sexual violence in conflict, and to confirm my country's strong support for an even more systematic and comprehensive approach to that important issue.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

The focus of this debate is to address the obstacles to women's participation in conflict mediation, peace talks, national dialogue and donor conferences. We believe that it is important to sustain the momentum to consolidate efforts at all levels so as to effectively mainstream women as equal development partners and agents of change in conflict prevention, conf lict resolution, peacebuilding, peacekeeping and nation-building for safer and more prosperous communities and a safer and more prosperous world. A clear case in point is the excellent contributions by women to last month's successful conclusion and adoption of the first-ever global Arms Trade Treaty.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

We note the important, albeit slow, strides made internationally over the past decade in addressing the disproportionate and unique impacts of armed conflict, violence and tensions, which continue to affect women and girls worldwide.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Women's and girls' protection and empowerment, particularly in fragile, conflict and post-conflict situations — and even in so-called stable societies — remain a major concern and an overriding challenge for all of us. Noble initiatives such as resolution 1325 (2000), the 2010 United Nations seven- point action plan on gender-responsive peacebuilding and other international, regional and national peace and security frameworks that place women and girls at the centre of peace and security continue to remain largely unfulfilled.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

In the context of my own country, Papua New Guinea, I would like to share our experience with regard to women and peace and security in the framework of the civil conflict we experienced in Bougainville, which ended more than a decade ago. With the election of the first President and members of the Parliament of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, the Council, on 6 July 2005, successfully concluded the mandate it had initiated to resolve the decade-long bloody conflict on Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

I would also commend the support and cooperation that Papua New Guinea continues to receive from our bilateral development partners, including Australia, the United States, New Zealand, the European Union and others, on mainstreaming gender issues that contribute to peace, security and national development. Likewise, we value similar support from regional multilateral development partners, such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

At the regional level, the launch of the 2012-2015 Pacific Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, in 2012, has provided a strong framework from which national and regional actions can be better and more effectively developed and coordinated. The Action Plan was developed jointly by representatives of the member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum, representatives of the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific and, importantly, civil society organizations. In essence, the Action Plan replicates the basic, but important, tenets of resolution 1325 (2000) as elaborated by the United Nations.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Apart from the United Nations, we continue to have strong support from our development partners — Australia and New Zealand, along with other partners such as the European Union — which are prioritizing gender empowerment and equality by providing capacity-building programmes for our women and girls in the area of peace and security. The challenge will be the effective coordination of all the valuable resources, so that all the efforts to implement the full intent of resolution 1325 (2000) are properly realized.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

As a member of the Group of Friends of resolution 1325 (2000), the Republic of Korea has been actively engaged in international efforts to combat conflict- related sexual violence. In that context, my delegation welcomes the timely adoption of the declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict by the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Eight (G-8) last Thursday in London. As the ministers of the G-8 recognized in the declaration, efforts to address sexual violence in armed conflict should be consistent with resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the declaration highlights the importance of wider efforts to promote better implementation of the relevant resolutions.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

To that end, the Korean Government is also working on a draft national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), with the involvement of all the relevant ministries and in close consultation with civil society. The plan is expected to include measures to combat conflict-related sexual violence and to provide assistance to the victims and survivors of sexual violence in conflicts.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

As we know, sexual violence in conflict is vicious and pitiless, and there is no sign of it abating. Rather, the roll call of shame continues to grow ever longer. Insofar as today's debate strengthens our resolve and brings us closer to achieving a real and life-changing impact on the ground, it will indeed be worthwhile.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

Projects have also been set up for the economic empowerment of women through the establishment of a women's portfolio, a revolving fund for women for the purpose of savings and economic development, and small-business projects that benefit women, set up by the Zakat department. I would also cite a project involving young graduates, the establishment of a group for working women, and other family-oriented undertakings. Empowerment programmes are focusing on rural women, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

In that context, I would like to underscore that the Sudan's framework cooperation agreement with South Sudan will have a positive impact in promoting cooperation and assisting women in both countries, in addition to eliminating sexual violence in conflict. We should note that our disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes have, in coordination with specialized agencies of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme and UN-Women, given top priority to women. The aim is to implement a work plan pursuant to resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

Sudan

Extracts

The solution to women's problems in times of armed conflict is inextricably linked to the efforts to analyse the root causes of conflicts, such as poverty, lack of development and climate change, and to find solutions to them. Measures adopted by the Security Council must be based on reports of the Secretary- General grounded in accurate information received from reporting countries, not on reports from certain non-governmental organizations or the media.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

We hope that the discussions in the Council will lead to the establishment of a system to examine all women's issues. In that context, I would like to underscore the importance of dialogue with countries concerned in order to analyse and find appropriate solutions to this very difficult topic.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

The Security Council's engagement with the issue of women and peace and security has greatly contributed to our common efforts to improve the lives of women in conflict situations around the world. The resolutions adopted by the Council have not only created a comprehensive body of norms and tools, but have also stimulated discussion, self-criticism and progress on the protection and promotion of women's rights.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

It is my great honour to address the Security Council today on behalf of the Human Security Network, a cross-regional network that consists of Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Panama, Switzerland, Thailand, the Republic of South Africa as an observer, and my own country, Slovenia. Let me thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, and Ms. Saran Keïta Diakité of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security for their comprehensive statements. On behalf of the members of the Network, I should also like to express our great appreciation to the presidency of Rwanda for convening this very important open debate. The Human Security Network has traditionally been engaged in these debates, since women's full enjoyment of all human rights has been at the core of our group's agenda from its inception.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

Noting the Council's creation of several tools with considerable potential for having an impact on the women and peace and security agenda on the ground, we remain concerned over its lack of implementation in some of the already mentioned areas.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

The international community has made considerable strides since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Through it and subsequent resolutions adopted by this body, the international community has committed itself to ending the pain and distress affecting women and girls who are subjected to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Chile

Extracts

We believe it is equally important to continue to promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in our region through the exchange of experiences and international cooperation, both at the bilateral level and in the regional mechanisms for peacekeeping operations of which Chile is a part. That is the case with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, for which Chile has provided female military contingents and in which it has followed the United Nations zero-tolerance policy for the sexual abuse and misconduct cases in which certain members of the Mission have been involved. We believe that the zero-tolerance policy should be a general standard that is strictly and zealously enforced in all peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.

Country

Chile

Extracts

A key element in making progress on these issues has been the guidelines established in the Security Council resolutions that followed historic resolution 1325 (2000), which reinforce its principles and the undeniable progress that has been made on the issue of gender-based violence within the United Nations system. In that respect, it is worth highlighting the conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-seventh session. We promoted the inclusion, in those conclusions, of the relationship between the trafficking and illicit use of small arms and light weapons and the resurgence of violence against women and children, as we did in the text of the Arms Trade Treaty, which also deals with this issue.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Secondly, we must ensure that the resolutions on women and peace and security are not only part of Security Council's debates but also have real impact on the ground and that commitments are followed up.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Sustainable peace cannot be achieved without inclusive processes in which women's agency and contributions are fully recognized. We strongly commend the tireless work of civil society organizations in continuing to advance women's participation and bringing their voices from the ground to the fore of international peace and security. Promoting and supporting the broad women and peace and security agenda is a priority for the Nordic Governments. It is part of our joint efforts to foster gender equality and international peace and security. We are convinced that the two are closely linked.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

The Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149) underscores the reality that sexual violence in armed conflict and post-conflict settings remains systemic and widespread, where women and girls continue to bear the greater burden of the consequences of conflict. It is with that in mind that my delegation reaffirms our commitment to the full and effective implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) as the building blocks for advancing the women, peace and security agenda.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

We support efforts undertaken by the Council towards ensuring that more systematic attention be given to the implementation of women, peace and security commitments in its own work. The integration of appropriate gender perspectives into the mandates of the relevant peacekeeping missions, as well as in other thematic areas of peace and security, would positively advance that objective.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

Much work needs to be done to narrow the substantive implementation deficits that still remain. The burden of responsibility rests on the stakeholder community, including the Council, to ensure measurable progress on the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions in the broader context of the women, peace and security agenda and the laudable objectives it aspires to achieve.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

ASEAN member States wish to reiterate their strong commitment to working closely with the international community and the United Nations in ending sexual violence, wherever it occurs. Our States have been supportive of efforts to eliminate and prevent all acts of violence against women. ASEAN attaches great importance to the implementation of landmark resolution 1325 (2000) and the subsequent resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010). ASEAN supports the continued efforts of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the relevant United Nations bodies to advance the women, peace and security agenda in accordance with their respective mandates.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

My country has always been a strong advocate of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, and will, of course, remain so. In his report, the Secretary-General clearly highlights how sexual violence persists in many societies as a common practice that is often invisible and too rarely prosecuted.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

In that regard, Botswana welcomes the continued focus by the Council on this thematic area and wishes to emphasize the need for increased and more systemic attention to the agenda women and peace and security in the Council's work. We believe that efforts to address sexual violence in armed conflict should be consistent with and complementary to wider efforts to promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and other relevant resolutions on women and peace and security. To that end, my delegation also welcomes the work of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict in building coherence and coordination in the United Nations response to sexual violence in armed conflict. In that regard, Botswana supports the Special Representative's focus on national ownership and responsibility, by engaging with Governments and armed groups to establish their commitment to accountability for sexual violence, so as to create procedures that will allow such commitments to be systematically monitored. I would also like to emphasize that greater coordination and collaboration with other relevant stakeholders is important to improving global efforts to address sexual violence.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

We all know very well that, after the chaos of armed conflict, the fundamental institutions of a country are left in a general state of weakness and dependency, with limited and low levels of economic and human resources. Such countries usually take a long time to achieve the strengthening of their institutions to a degree that would allow them to be functional at an acceptable level. That is the situation in which El Salvador finds itself only four years after political change came about. At that time, a new democratic force came to power that was committed to defending human rights and promoting policies of social inclusion. Among those policies are gender equality and fighting sexual violence.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

Parallel to those efforts, the Salvadoran Government has strongly promoted a campaign against gender-based violence and sexual violence in general on different fronts. We have strengthened legislation with the approval of the comprehensive special act on violence-free lives for women. The entry into force of that new piece of legislation has been fundamental in enabling the State to exercise its responsibilities in defending, protecting and guaranteeing the rights of women.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the international community has followed closely the role of women in the context of war or post-war situations, not only as victims but, more important, as agents and important contributors to the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, while stressing the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

In the final analysis, peace is more about people than it is about particular structures. People who foster peace first of all in their own hearts give rise in turn to innumerable gestures of peace and advance respect for the right to life and security of all persons, especially women and children.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia notes with deep concern the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war and one that worsens its consequences, as highlighted in the Secretary- General's report. Against that backdrop, Indonesia condemns all forms of violence against women and girls in armed conflicts, particularly sexual violence, which, as the report states, predominantly affects women and girls but can also affect men and boys. We wish to reaffirm our support for resolution 1325 (2000), the first to specifically address the impact of war on women and women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. The follow-up Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security also constitute a milestone for protection and empowerment measures for women in the special situation of conflict.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Protecting and promoting the rights of the Afghan people has been the cornerstone of all our efforts to build a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Central to those efforts is enabling women to regain their historical role as proactive citizens in Afghan society. Afghanistan is pursuing the vigorous implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) through our national priority programme. We have also launched our national action plan for the women of Afghanistan as a 10-year blue print that contains specific and time-bound benchmarks for progress in various areas. As the implementation of the action plan continues apace, we are confident that we will realize our vision of seeing Afghan women thrive and be empowered in all sectors of society — the social, political and economic.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

In reference to an observation made in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149), we wish to state with full confidence that the Government and the people of Afghanistan do not and will not tolerate impunity against any form of human rights violation. Together with our judicial authorities, the Afghan National Security Forces are working diligently to uphold law and order in all areas of the country. As we move forward, we are confident that our efforts will continue to bear fruit and that women will be further empowered.

Country

India

Extracts

Women bear a disproportionate brunt of armed conflict, even though in most cases they are not directly engaged in combat. Resolution 1325 (2000) provides the framework for women to play an important role in the resolution of armed conflicts through participation in peacebuilding processes and post- conflict reconstruction efforts. Allow me to make a few comments on that important issue.

Country

Extracts

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

Promoting the rights of women is at the core of my country's human rights policy. Kazakhstan, as a member of the Executive Board of UN-Women, has repeatedly voiced the need to accelerate the implementation of global gender commitments. Those include the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (see A/S-23/10/Rev.1), the Millennium Development Goals, the Beijing Platform for Action, the 2013 Commission on the Status of Women follow- up process, and resolutions 1325 (2000), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) — all of which touch upon sexual violence in conflict. To implement them, Member States must live up to their commitments and actions. Closer interaction is needed among the Council and the Special Representative, UN-Women, the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as country teams on the ground.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

It would help to have at least one gender expert on every Sanctions Committee and peacekeeping mission or political office in the field. Resources must be allocated to that end. Likewise, the women and peace and security agenda should be incorporated into the terms of reference of Security Council visiting missions when interacting with interlocutors and stakeholders.

Extracts

Country

Netherlands

Extracts

The Netherlands has for decades put gender equality at the heart of all its policies. Internationally, we support female leadership, the follow-up of resolution 1325 (2000), women's economic empowerment and the elimination of sexual violence against women. Equal rights and opportunities for women and their full participation in society and decision-making are important not just for the security of women; women are powerful agents for peace, stability and prosperity in any society.

Country

Extracts

Country

Netherlands

Extracts

Because of the important role of women, since 2007 the Netherlands has invested in national action plans, together with civil society organizations, research institutions and other Government institutions — altogether more than 40 partners. The objective of those partnerships is to create an enabling environment in which women are better able to take a leading role and to participate in political decision-making processes. Within the United Nations, the Netherlands wants to continue its proactive role within the United Nations Human Rights Council, the General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women. We are also committed, and a long-term supporter of, the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

Even better news is the assessment that there seems to be an emerging trend, when new problems emerge, as recently they did in Mali and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to have explicit women peace and security language incorporated into mandates at the outset of a mission. We urge that that trend continue. Looking ahead, there is still great scope for improvement in the Council's work in particular cases, as is well illustrated by the experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where many women and children have suffered serious sexual violence.

Country

Canada

Extracts

We welcome the Government of Afghanistan's efforts to implement a law on the elimination of violence against women. However, more must be done to increase understanding and awareness of the law and its application and to end practices that imprison victims of sexual violence while allowing perpetrators to go free.

Country

China

Extracts

China condemns all violence against women in armed conflict, including sexual violence. China supports the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Council and urges parties in conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and other relevant international law to effectively protect the safety of women and other disadvantaged groups. I would like to emphasize three points.

Country

China

Extracts

First, in all countries, it is the Government that bears the primary responsibility for women's safety and rights. Conflict situations are all different. The international community should support the countries concerned in their efforts to safeguard women's rights and interests and should provide constructive assistance in that regard. External support should fully respect the sovereignty of the countries concerned, focus on enhancing their capacity-building and help them to resolve funding and technical difficulties.

Country

Russia

Extracts

The consideration of the issues relating to women and peace and security should be based on a comprehensive approach, as set forth in the Council's baseline resolution on the matter, namely, resolution 1325 (2000). The varied nature of the violence that occurs during armed conflict requires that attention be paid to all its manifestations. Unquestionably, sexual violence must be roundly condemned and severely punished. We believe this problem is very real, particularly in specific conflict situations where such crimes are becoming increasingly widespread.

Country

Russia

Extracts

However, as we know, not all such situations pose a threat to international peace and security requiring intervention on the part of the Security Council. Because of that, we feel that issues relating to preventing and combating sexual violence at every stage of armed conflict or post-conflict situations are primarily the responsibility of national Governments. Moreover, questions concerning combating sexual violence, depending on the context and within the framework of existing mandates, are handled not only by the Council but by other United Nations organs, particularly the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council and the Commission on the Status of Women. Artificially linking every issue of sexual violence to the work of the Security Council would lead not only to an imbalance from the standpoint of system-wide coordination but would have a negative impact on the effectiveness of work in that area. We believe that priority attention should be given to those situations on the Security Council's agenda where sexual violence is one of the primary issues in terms of the protection of civilians.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

In conclusion, the continued attention by the international community to the role of women in peace and security and the enhancement of the role of women in decision-making processes will have positive effects on international peace and security and will mitigate the catastrophic results of conflicts all over the world.

Speaker

Civil Society Speaker

Extracts

The 45 members of the Group of Friends, which represent all five regional groups at the United Nations, reaffirm their support, in the strongest terms, for the work of the Security Council aimed at preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence. The Group of Friends welcomes the recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) on this issue and calls on the Security Council and the United Nations system to act systematically and comprehensively to address gaps and challenges to, and accelerate progress in, its work on women, peace and security, and to monitor commitments by parties to conflict to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence. We further urge the Security Council to ensure that its mandated missions consistently evaluate the level of protection and promotion of women's human rights.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, together with other Council resolutions, signified and still represents a huge breakthrough. In that resolution, the Council recognized the fundamental role that women played in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding. It underlined the importance of effective and equal participation by women in the maintenance of peace and security and the need to include women, under equal conditions, in decision-making processes for the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

As expressed during the discussion on the prevention of conflict in Africa earlier this week (see S/PV.6946), Rwanda takes the firm view that lasting peace and security, and therefore the safety of women and girls, are possible only when nations, supported by regional and international bodies, address the root causes of conflict. The degradation of women and girls as part of conflict is unacceptable in any form under any circumstances. Its eradication must be a first-order priority of the Council.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The fight against sexual violence must also be integrated into all security sector and justice reform processes worthy of the name. In that regard, Luxemburg has supported a number of workshops, including in South Sudan and Liberia, aimed at strengthening the contribution of United Nations peacekeeping operations to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, they sought to ensure that women were better represented at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

I would like to thank you, Madam President, for presiding over this meeting and for enabling us to discuss important aspects of the issue of preventing conflict twice in three days. These two debates (see S/PV.6946) are inextricably connected, given the fact that the problem of sexual violence is deeply rooted in conflict and not merely an incidental symptom of it. The short period during which these discussions have taken place has served to sow the seeds of the success of your presidency for the month of April. By the same token, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in achieving this lofty and noble goal. I would also like to thank Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as Ms. Saran Keïta Diakité of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, for their exhaustive briefings and complete and concrete efforts in this area.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

We also avail ourselves of this opportunity to highlight the importance of the recent adoption of the agreed conclusions on the prevention of sexual violence at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which, among other goals, seek to ensure that in armed conflict and post-conflict situations the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, are effectively addressed. We must all strive towards enabling more protection for women and girls in conflict situations and encourage the empowerment of women and their systematic inclusion and meaningful participation at all levels.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

We must do more to empower women and girls to participate in peace and security processes, as well as decision-making roles in conflict prevention and conflict resolution. We are encouraged by the increasing number of female military and police peacekeepers. The United Republic of Tanzania contributes more than 200 such courageous women to such missions. It is our goal to contribute more in the future, in the spirit of resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

Norway

Extracts

Security threats against women are often dismissed as belonging to the private sphere or are written off as cultural issues. But let us be clear, conflict-related sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, and, in the most extreme cases, an act of genocide. We must respond with the same sense of urgency as we do to other threats against peace and security. We must recognize the need for the participation of both women and men in preventing and solving conflict and, not least, in building sustainable peace.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Secondly, my delegation is convinced that we must focus on prevention in the fight against all forms of sexual violence. That is one of the key conclusions of the most recent session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the main theme of which was the struggle against all forms of violence against women and girls.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Involving women in conflict prevention and mediation is therefore essential to building peace and reinforcing the foundations of democracy. Women's participation remains low in both the official and observer roles. We therefore need to intensify all our efforts to ensure women's full participation in the processes of conflict prevention and resolution, the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and early peacebuilding and post-conflict planning, as well as in enhancing women's role in decision-making processes.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the international community has followed closely the role of women in the context of war or post-war situations, not only as victims but, more important, as agents and important contributors to the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, while stressing the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

My delegation commends those efforts and is convinced that there is ample room for the greater involvement of women, especially in the prevention of war, in the reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of societies in post-war situations, and in avoiding relapses into armed conflict. Women can and should play greater roles as allies of peace.

Country

China

Extracts

Secondly, the United Nations should play its unique role fully and enhance cooperation and coordination with other relevant bodies. The Security Council, as the primary body tasked with maintaining peace and security, should focus on conflict prevention, dispute mediation and post-conf lict peacebuilding, so as to create political, security and legal environments conducive to eliminating sexual violence. The General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council and UN-Women should coordinate their efforts and cooperate closely with the Security Council to foster synergy.

Country

Turkey

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) and the statements made today make clear that, over the past three and a half years, effective action has been taken by the United Nations to prevent and address the scourge of sexual violence in conflict. We also note with satisfaction the activities and initiatives undertaken by UN-Women, including through the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, to which Turkey is a contributor.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We agree with the need for a human rights focus in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, as well as in mediation, ceasefire, peace and preventive diplomacy processes, with an intensified focus on women and girls. In that respect, we believe that women's participation in all consultation and decision-making processes should not be the exception, but rather the rule. As women, our role in conflicts is not passive, nor is it exclusively or necessarily that of victims.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda recommends that the problem of sexual violence be addressed directly as part of any post- conflict or peacebuilding process. That should include United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations and security sector reform processes or be part of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Whether through legislative reforms, awareness-raising campaigns and the training of police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates or the recruitment of more women to such positions, we must insist that national authorities take proactive steps to protect women and girls. Due consideration should also be given to the prosecution of sexual violence through transitional justice arrangements. In Rwanda, the destigmatization of sexual violence, which empowered victims and gave them a voice, was a central element of the post-genocide justice.

Country

France

Extracts

That progress was recently confirmed by the Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly on 2 April, which contains provisions against gender- based violence. France vigorously supported that part of the Treaty.

Country

France

Extracts

Despite that progress, we have no other choice but to deplore the scope and frequency of sexual violence in conflicts, which is continually being used as a weapon to terrorize civilian populations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in spite of the mobilization of the international community, sexual violence remains omnipresent. Committed by all parties, sexual violence is also perpetuated within the Congolese army, particularly because of shortcomings in the screening, selection and training processes for ex-militia integrated into the Congolese forces. The response to the Minova tragedy should stand as an example. The Congolese authorities must do more, and more quickly, to punish the guilty. They must also take a determined and convincing stand for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes and security sector reform programmes.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The latest report of the Secretary-General to the Council (S/2013/149) reaffirms the pervasiveness of sexual violence and its interconnection with various aspects of the maintenance of peace and security. We note, in that regard, the attention drawn to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the forcible displacement of civilian populations and the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The recently adopted United Nations Arms Trade Treaty states that the risk of conventional arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender- based violence needs to be taken into account by its State parties. That reaffirms that sexual violence needs, from the start, to be considered as part of all actions to ensure international peace and security in order for them to be effective.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia is also very satisfied that the Arms Trade Treaty, recently adopted by the General Assembly, includes strong human rights and international humanitarian law criteria. In assessing the export of conventional arms, each country has to take into account the risk of those arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children. We believe that the effective implementation of the Treaty will make a difference in the world. We urge States to apply the relevant articles that are provisionally pending prior to the Treaty's entry into force.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

The focus of this debate is to address the obstacles to women's participation in conflict mediation, peace talks, national dialogue and donor conferences. We believe that it is important to sustain the momentum to consolidate efforts at all levels so as to effectively mainstream women as equal development partners and agents of change in conflict prevention, conf lict resolution, peacebuilding, peacekeeping and nation-building for safer and more prosperous communities and a safer and more prosperous world. A clear case in point is the excellent contributions by women to last month's successful conclusion and adoption of the first-ever global Arms Trade Treaty.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Security sector reform, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, are essential to rebuilding communities. Measures against sexual violence must be integral to them. Too often, perpetrators of sexual violence are themselves allowed to assume positions of power in post-conflict settings. We must strengthen efforts to ensure appropriate levels of preventive vetting.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Ms. Keïta Diakité reminded us this morning of the nexus between arms and conflict-related sexual violence. In that connection we welcome the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, including the requirement that States parties consider, in making their export assessments, the risks of arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence. We must now focus on the Treaty's entry into force and its effective implementation.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

In that context, I would like to underscore that the Sudan's framework cooperation agreement with South Sudan will have a positive impact in promoting cooperation and assisting women in both countries, in addition to eliminating sexual violence in conflict. We should note that our disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes have, in coordination with specialized agencies of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme and UN-Women, given top priority to women. The aim is to implement a work plan pursuant to resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Prevention also involves tackling the disturbing relationship between the widespread availability of illicit small arms and light weapons and conflict- related sexual violence. We acknowledge the progress achieved by the adoption of the landmark Arms Trade Treaty, which establishes that conventional arms should not be exported when they might be used to commit or facilitate gender-based violence. We regret, however, that it was not possible to include in the Treaty a clear prohibition of transfers to unauthorized non-State actors, as such a provision would greatly contribute to the objective of preventing the commission of sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Italy

Extracts

In March, the Commission on the Status of Women approved agreed conclusions with a strong condemnation of all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence. The Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly just this month, obliges States parties to take into account the risk of conventional arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender- based violence. The Group of Eight made a strong commitment to addressing impunity and preventing sexual violence in conflict. Italy has always supported all such commitments, which must now be followed by concrete actions.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

While prosecution is critical in ending impunity, we must also continue to address its root causes. We must resolve conflicts by reconciling warring parties and encouraging dialogue, rather than by employing military solutions. If necessary, negative forces must be neutralized, demobilized and reintegrated into society.

Country

Chile

Extracts

A key element in making progress on these issues has been the guidelines established in the Security Council resolutions that followed historic resolution 1325 (2000), which reinforce its principles and the undeniable progress that has been made on the issue of gender-based violence within the United Nations system. In that respect, it is worth highlighting the conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-seventh session. We promoted the inclusion, in those conclusions, of the relationship between the trafficking and illicit use of small arms and light weapons and the resurgence of violence against women and children, as we did in the text of the Arms Trade Treaty, which also deals with this issue.

Country

Spain

Extracts

As I already mentioned, Spain fully supports the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General, but would like to highlight those that relate to the need to define a mechanism to monitor the obligations of parties to conflict as set forth in resolution 1960 (2010) — including the possibility of referring cases to the International Criminal Court — and in particular to those pertaining to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes and security sector reform. I also wish to stress the importance of the role of the International Criminal Court, as acknowledged in the recent conclusions agreed to in the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Lastly, we are strongly in favour of the mainstreaming of the fight against sexual violence in the various areas of action of the United Nations. By way of example, we welcome the fact that the text of the Arms Trade Treaty that was recently adopted includes clear references to the need to take into account the risks of violence against women and girls.

Country

India

Extracts

While United Nations peacekeeping missions have provided critical support for gender-related issues in countries emerging from armed conflict, we agree with the report's assertion that it is equally important to pay adequate attention to security-sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, so as to avoid the risk of relapse. There is also a need for an increased deployment of female military and police personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and for appropriate training to enable United Nations peacekeepers to effectively discharge their responsibilities. India stands ready to place more female formed units at the disposal of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for deployment as required.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

It is noteworthy that provisions for protection against gender-based violence and violence against women and children were incorporated into article 7, paragraph 4, of the Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the transfer of major types of weapons and which the General Assembly adopted earlier this month. The 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons must also begin to reflect a gender-sensitive perspective, like the Arms Trade Treaty, because armed sexual violence in armed conflict totally devastates women and children. For significant results to accrue, each tool should not to be implemented piecemeal but taken as part of a unified, consolidated and comprehensive approach. United Nations system- wide coherence on gender-based violence in conflict, combining synergy with regional organizations, intergovernmental bodies and key stakeholders, would result in strengthened mechanisms for monitoring, reporting and implementation.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

At the same time, we need to facilitate and reinforce women's participation, through their local networks and groups, by assessing and overcoming factors that impede their effective involvement. Hurdles created by a lack of resources, access to information and security itself can be counteracted through the inclusion of women's groups in strategies for conflict prevention, resolution and recovery, especially in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, through training and capacity-building.

Extracts

Country

Germany

Extracts

Thirdly, in security sector reform and in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, more focus should be given to the needs of women and girls, not only as victims but also with a view to their active participation in reintegration processes. In peace agreements, sexual violence shall figure in one important provision: those who have previously committed or condoned sexual violence should be excluded from amnesty provisions and should not be allowed to serve in the relevant official functions.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

We particularly welcome the fact that the report discloses new trends and the use of several forms of sexual violence as a tactic of war against not only women and girls but also men and boys. Other interesting elements set out in the report include the connection between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources and the connection between sexual violence and the failure of security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. Moreover, the report gives a clear and comprehensive idea of the intensive follow- up and advocacy work carried out worldwide by the current and former Special Representatives to advance the fight against conflict-related sexual violence.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General, entitled “Sexual violence in conflict” (S/2013/149), which was been presented by his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlights several concerns emerging this year, including the perpetration of sexual violence against men and boys as a tactic of war or in the context of detention or interrogation, children born as a result of rape in wartime, and the practice of forced marriages by armed groups. It also draws attention to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the displacement of civilian populations, the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts, and the challenge of sexual violence being universally underreported for reasons that include the risk of reprisal.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

However, with the same firmness with which we require comprehensive protection for victims, we would like to say that it is vital that women be included in all decisions that affect their lives, as participation promotes protection.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, together with other Council resolutions, signified and still represents a huge breakthrough. In that resolution, the Council recognized the fundamental role that women played in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding. It underlined the importance of effective and equal participation by women in the maintenance of peace and security and the need to include women, under equal conditions, in decision-making processes for the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We agree with the need for a human rights focus in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, as well as in mediation, ceasefire, peace and preventive diplomacy processes, with an intensified focus on women and girls. In that respect, we believe that women's participation in all consultation and decision-making processes should not be the exception, but rather the rule. As women, our role in conflicts is not passive, nor is it exclusively or necessarily that of victims.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In addition, Rwanda is the leading contributor from Africa of female police and correctional officers to United Nations peace support and peacekeeping missions. Among other duties, those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness about violence against women. They also serve as advisers on gender-based violence and share best practices with officers and local authorities. All our peacekeepers undergo specific training on respect for gender and human rights prior to deployment.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda recommends that the problem of sexual violence be addressed directly as part of any post- conflict or peacebuilding process. That should include United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations and security sector reform processes or be part of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Whether through legislative reforms, awareness-raising campaigns and the training of police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates or the recruitment of more women to such positions, we must insist that national authorities take proactive steps to protect women and girls. Due consideration should also be given to the prosecution of sexual violence through transitional justice arrangements. In Rwanda, the destigmatization of sexual violence, which empowered victims and gave them a voice, was a central element of the post-genocide justice.

Country

France

Extracts

To protect, to sanction and, finally, to prevent — for that, the participation of women in the resolution of conflicts represents a basic element. It will, for example, be a significant dimension for reconciliation in Mali, which France took into account in the draft resolution currently being discussed.

Country

Extracts

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Empowerment cannot and will not happen without women's participation. Promoting participation is a challenge that is shared right across the United Nations system, but the Security Council clearly has responsibilities within its remit. The detailed and independent Security Council Report to which I referred earlier gives cause for concern in that regard. While acknowledging progress on other aspects of the resolution 1325 (2000) agenda, it finds that: “There are worrying indications that the Council's focus is less sharp when it comes to the women's participation aspect”. That imbalance needs to be addressed. The Security Council should factor women's participation into all its deliberations and decisions in a systematic way. Such a focus is essential if we are to move beyond symptoms and to address root causes.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The six-point priority agenda of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a good way to address impunity, empower women to seek redress, strengthen the international political response and foster national ownership. Moreover, the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will meaningfully address the plight of women and will elevate their status to equal partners in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, post-conflict reconstruction, peace and security. Women should participate in recovery and peacebuilding, as well as transitional justice systems.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We support the Special Representative's call to strengthen national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to victims of sexual violence. Technical assistance may be provided, on request, to concerned States for reforming and rebuilding the judicial, legislative and electoral sectors, as well as for the economic, social and political empowerment of women.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union now has gender advisors and/or human rights focal points in each of its crisis management missions and operations throughout the world. We continue our work on specific training modules on human rights and gender in crisis management, while ensuring a focus on sexual violence in armed conflicts. We continue to work closely with UN-Women and support initiatives to ensure greater participation by women in peacebuilding and post- conflict planning.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

We know the extent to which crisis resolution and post-conflict situations are volatile and precarious. That is why it is important once again to ensure the involvement of women in peace processes so that peace and ceasefire agreements fully and systematically take into account the issue of sexual violence.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The fight against sexual violence must also be integrated into all security sector and justice reform processes worthy of the name. In that regard, Luxemburg has supported a number of workshops, including in South Sudan and Liberia, aimed at strengthening the contribution of United Nations peacekeeping operations to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, they sought to ensure that women were better represented at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

In our view, the next important step for the United Nations would be to further implement monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict- related sexual violence. We would also urge the further deployment of female protection advisers to Security Council-mandated missions. We must support the non-governmental organizations working in the field and protection for women's human rights defenders. It should also be noted that the overall goal of achieving women's empowerment and participation in society is inextricably linked to the fight against gender-based violence.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

The focus of this debate is to address the obstacles to women's participation in conflict mediation, peace talks, national dialogue and donor conferences. We believe that it is important to sustain the momentum to consolidate efforts at all levels so as to effectively mainstream women as equal development partners and agents of change in conflict prevention, conf lict resolution, peacebuilding, peacekeeping and nation-building for safer and more prosperous communities and a safer and more prosperous world. A clear case in point is the excellent contributions by women to last month's successful conclusion and adoption of the first-ever global Arms Trade Treaty.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

We also agree with the Secretary-General's conclusions in his 2010 report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466) that their participation is not only a matter of women's and girls' rights but of their status as core partners in strengthening the three pillars of durable peace, namely, economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Women's and girls' protection and empowerment, particularly in fragile, conflict and post-conflict situations — and even in so-called stable societies — remain a major concern and an overriding challenge for all of us. Noble initiatives such as resolution 1325 (2000), the 2010 United Nations seven- point action plan on gender-responsive peacebuilding and other international, regional and national peace and security frameworks that place women and girls at the centre of peace and security continue to remain largely unfulfilled.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Importantly, it is worth recalling that the efforts of the women of Bougainville in pushing for peace during the conflict, which culminated in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, attest to and confirm the notion that women are agents of change, including in peace and security. Fortunately, there is growing recognition of that fact, but, as always, more needs to be done to maintain the momentum.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

In that regard, we acknowledge the leadership of Ms. Bachelet and the work of UN-Women in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, as reflected in her attendance at our Pacific Leaders' Summit — to represent the Secretary-General — held in the Cooks Islands last year. Such proactive participation has yielded positive dividends, which include the increasing involvement of women as partners in consolidating peace and security in our region.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Apart from the United Nations, we continue to have strong support from our development partners — Australia and New Zealand, along with other partners such as the European Union — which are prioritizing gender empowerment and equality by providing capacity-building programmes for our women and girls in the area of peace and security. The challenge will be the effective coordination of all the valuable resources, so that all the efforts to implement the full intent of resolution 1325 (2000) are properly realized.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Insofar as civil society efforts to promote issues relating to women, peace and security in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands region are concerned, they are increasing as a result of the groundswell of advocacy work on fostering women's and girls' development issues, including the important role they play in fostering peace and security in our communities and country.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Supporting women's leadership and participation is essential to addressing, responding to, and indeed ending sexual violence. Women are powerful agents of change, and we must harness that capacity by promoting their far greater participation in conflict resolution and post-conflict transitions.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

As we know, sexual violence in conflict is vicious and pitiless, and there is no sign of it abating. Rather, the roll call of shame continues to grow ever longer. Insofar as today's debate strengthens our resolve and brings us closer to achieving a real and life-changing impact on the ground, it will indeed be worthwhile.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

We have made considerable progress in terms of empowering women and strengthening their participation. For example, laws were enacted on equality of salary and retirement age. The electoral law of 2008 increased women's participation in Parliament; representation is now at 27 per cent. Women have been able to run for office and vote since laws to that effect were enacted in the 1950s and 1960s.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

My Government has promoted such policies throughout all of the Sudanese provinces and regions, focusing on Darfur in particular. The projects are aimed at meeting the concerns of rural women first and foremost and include the financing of micro-projects aimed at alleviating poverty, training and capacity- building programmes, and awareness-raising programmes on health and nutrition, women's rights, education and peace education. The project allocates 30 per cent of its funding to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

Furthermore, my Government has undertaken various projects at the central Government and regional levels. Those projects depend on the specific requirements of the area and are aimed at strengthening women's participation in peacetime.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

But the spectrum of action for countering sexual violence must not be limited to the conflict and its conclusion. It must be prioritized throughout peace processes, including in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration phase and in security sector reform. Rigorous vetting should ensure that perpetrators and those who have directed sexual violence are denied entry to the security sector. There should be strong protection mechanisms for civilians in close proximity of cantonment sites. The best way to ensure these protections is for women themselves to participate meaningfully in SSR and DDR program design and implementation and to have more women working and leading in the security sector. It is clear that female survivors of sexual violence are more likely to report to a female police officer or a women's police station, as our experience in Haiti has borne out. And women's civil society organizations need greater capacity to monitor, inform, and provide security services in conjunction with law enforcement authorities.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

In conclusion, even though it is not at the forefront of our discussion today, I should like to reiterate our group's commitment to promoting and enhancing the role of women in peace processes. While it is crucial to today's agenda that we maintain momentum in the fight against sexual violence, we would again like to underline the importance of women's empowerment as part of the solution. We need to see, and enable, women more and more as agents of change. Women's participation at decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes cannot be overemphasized. Women's participation in establishing effective prevention and protection strategies can contribute to combating sexual violence in conflict and promoting gender equality. We also remain strong supporters of women protection advisers, who can positively contribute to facilitating and coordinating the implementation of Security Council resolutions on sexual violence in conflict within United Nations peacekeeping and political missions.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

We also avail ourselves of this opportunity to highlight the importance of the recent adoption of the agreed conclusions on the prevention of sexual violence at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which, among other goals, seek to ensure that in armed conflict and post-conflict situations the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, are effectively addressed. We must all strive towards enabling more protection for women and girls in conflict situations and encourage the empowerment of women and their systematic inclusion and meaningful participation at all levels.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

We must do more to empower women and girls to participate in peace and security processes, as well as decision-making roles in conflict prevention and conflict resolution. We are encouraged by the increasing number of female military and police peacekeepers. The United Republic of Tanzania contributes more than 200 such courageous women to such missions. It is our goal to contribute more in the future, in the spirit of resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

Chile

Extracts

In that context, we have promoted the inclusion of the gender perspective and leadership functions in the context of our armed forces. There has also been an increasing awareness of gender among the armed forces and the equitable participation of women in peacebuilding and decision-making processes, as well as in international security.

Country

Chile

Extracts

The policy of Chile in this area has been strengthened through our participation in a number of international instruments that have allowed us to consolidate our democratic principles and make progress in this direction. In August 2009, Chile published its national action plan pursuant to resolution 1325 (2000), which it structured around the gender perspective, human rights, participation and coordination. This year, Chile will begin updating the plan in line with the guidelines set out by the United Nations so as to incorporate dissemination, follow-up and awareness-raising mechanisms on gender and security. We aim to achieve the comprehensive and cross-cutting implementation of actions seeking to promote targets for peace and women's participation and leadership in the planning, coordination and implementation of prevention processes in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Security threats against women are often dismissed as belonging to the private sphere or are written off as cultural issues. But let us be clear, conflict-related sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, and, in the most extreme cases, an act of genocide. We must respond with the same sense of urgency as we do to other threats against peace and security. We must recognize the need for the participation of both women and men in preventing and solving conflict and, not least, in building sustainable peace.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Sustainable peace cannot be achieved without inclusive processes in which women's agency and contributions are fully recognized. We strongly commend the tireless work of civil society organizations in continuing to advance women's participation and bringing their voices from the ground to the fore of international peace and security. Promoting and supporting the broad women and peace and security agenda is a priority for the Nordic Governments. It is part of our joint efforts to foster gender equality and international peace and security. We are convinced that the two are closely linked.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

We recognize the importance of women's access to justice in conflict and post-conflict settings, including through gender-responsive legal, judicial and security sector reform and other mechanisms. In that regard, my delegation appreciates the commendable work undertaken by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. However, we believe that significantly more needs to be done by all the relevant actors in supporting countries to increase women's participation, leadership and expertise in transitional justice, as well as in advancing accountability measures for serious offences committed against women and children.

Country

Spain

Extracts

In the open debate on women, peace and security held last fall at the Security Council (see S/PV.6877), we referred to the numerous initiatives that Spain had been leading in its foreign policy, development cooperation and defence policy with a view to achieving two goals — first, to promote the role of women in peacebuilding in conflict and post-conflict situations, and, secondly, to eliminate sexual violence in conflicts, including the outrageous practice of using systematic rape as a war tactic.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

Finally, as the representatives of China and Luxembourg, among others, have highlighted, let us not forget that women's full and equal participation is fundamental to combating sexual violence. Women must not be seen merely as passive victims, but as active participants who are central to all efforts to combat that horrific phenomenon.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Secondly, preventing and eradicating sexual violence against women are closely linked to women's empowerment and to gender equality. ASEAN views women as agents of change, who should participate, in a full and equal part, in peace, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict processes. In that regard, the continued efforts of the international community to address sexual violence in armed conflict must be supported.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Involving women in conflict prevention and mediation is therefore essential to building peace and reinforcing the foundations of democracy. Women's participation remains low in both the official and observer roles. We therefore need to intensify all our efforts to ensure women's full participation in the processes of conflict prevention and resolution, the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and early peacebuilding and post-conflict planning, as well as in enhancing women's role in decision-making processes.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Integrating a gender perspective into peacekeeping policies and the promotion of women's participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations is fundamental to a more effective performance on the ground. Recruiting women in the civil, military and police components of peacekeeping missions can encourage local women to report incidents of sexual violence and can also contribute to establishing better communication with local communities. We will spare no effort to advance on that issue. The relevant authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina have adopted a policy that one third of the nominated candidates for peacekeeping missions must be women.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Botswana strongly supports the involvement of women in peace negotiations, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. We are also supportive of calls for addressing concerns about sexual violence in mediation and peace processes, particularly in the context of security arrangements and transitional justice mechanisms. However, we believe that such efforts should take into consideration the needs and rights of women and children. I also wish to emphasize the importance of enhancing efforts to eliminate obstacles to women's access to justice, as well as of assisting States in conflict and post-conflict situations in their efforts to address sexual violence.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the international community has followed closely the role of women in the context of war or post-war situations, not only as victims but, more important, as agents and important contributors to the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, while stressing the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

My delegation commends those efforts and is convinced that there is ample room for the greater involvement of women, especially in the prevention of war, in the reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of societies in post-war situations, and in avoiding relapses into armed conflict. Women can and should play greater roles as allies of peace.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

That leads me to my second point, on reparations. They can have a transformative effect and should be an integral part of post-conflict transition initiatives. As UN-Women explained in a recent document, reparations are the most victim-centred transitional justice measures. In that connection, we are obliged to think beyond the traditional approach. Humanitarian aid, peacebuilding and development must be effectively linked in order to achieve a real impact, namely, the empowerment of women.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

As members of the High Peace Council and as members of civil society, women play a central role in the peace process. The results of our peace and reconciliation efforts will in no way jeopardize the hard-won gains of the past 11 years, especially those relating to human rights, and to the rights of women in particular.

Country

India

Extracts

Women bear a disproportionate brunt of armed conflict, even though in most cases they are not directly engaged in combat. Resolution 1325 (2000) provides the framework for women to play an important role in the resolution of armed conflicts through participation in peacebuilding processes and post- conflict reconstruction efforts. Allow me to make a few comments on that important issue.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

At the same time, we need to facilitate and reinforce women's participation, through their local networks and groups, by assessing and overcoming factors that impede their effective involvement. Hurdles created by a lack of resources, access to information and security itself can be counteracted through the inclusion of women's groups in strategies for conflict prevention, resolution and recovery, especially in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, through training and capacity-building.

Country

Netherlands

Extracts

The Netherlands has for decades put gender equality at the heart of all its policies. Internationally, we support female leadership, the follow-up of resolution 1325 (2000), women's economic empowerment and the elimination of sexual violence against women. Equal rights and opportunities for women and their full participation in society and decision-making are important not just for the security of women; women are powerful agents for peace, stability and prosperity in any society.

Country

Canada

Extracts

Canada supports the Special Representative's activities to ensure the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence and to ensure the health, security and dignity of survivors and their access to justice. Conflict-related sexual violence is of great concern to Canada. Canada places high priority on advancing women's full participation at all levels of society — a condition that is essential for maintaining the health, justice and prosperity of communities. Because of its devastating and enduring effects on the women and girls who are subjected to such crimes, as well as on their families and communities, rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict remain a huge barrier to peace, security and development.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Thirdly, in security sector reform and in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, more focus should be given to the needs of women and girls, not only as victims but also with a view to their active participation in reintegration processes. In peace agreements, sexual violence shall figure in one important provision: those who have previously committed or condoned sexual violence should be excluded from amnesty provisions and should not be allowed to serve in the relevant official functions.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

The Solomon Islands Police Force has a new look, thanks to special outreach efforts to women in terms of recruitment. Today, the acting head of our Police Force is a woman, a first for Solomon Islands. It is a small step, but an important one. Even more, it is fulfilling one of the six goals of UN-Women, that is,k strengthening the leadership of women in peace and security.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

The State of Qatar understands that, as highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149), there are still obstacles to women's participation and representation in decision-making, peace and transitional processes and that all regional and international bodies should support international standards to enhance women's participation in the protection of women's and girls' human rights, as well as in efforts at establishing peace.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

With respect to enhancing the role of women, the State of Qatar has taken a special interest in the participation of women in the political field through many initiatives aimed at enabling women to play their full role in various areas, including the political and economic fields. Women have been appointed to important positions, including as ministers. The wife of the Amir of Qatar has supported educational, research and development programmes. The State of Qatar has adopted a preventive policy so as to protect human rights, in particular the rights of women. That was reflected in our 2013 plan, which states that women have a very important role to play in our society, particularly by participating in decision-making processes, especially in the economic and social fields.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

In conclusion, the continued attention by the international community to the role of women in peace and security and the enhancement of the role of women in decision-making processes will have positive effects on international peace and security and will mitigate the catastrophic results of conflicts all over the world.

Speaker

Civil Society Speaker

Extracts

The Group of Friends welcomes the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, and strongly supports her efforts aimed at preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence, while underlining women's empowerment and equal participation as prerequisites for tackling the underlying causes of sexual violence in conflict. The Group of Friends also welcomes the adoption by the Commission on the Status of Women during its fifty-seventh session, from 4 to 15 March, of its agreed conclusions entitled “The elimination of violence against women and girls”.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

But the spectrum of action for countering sexual violence must not be limited to the conflict and its conclusion. It must be prioritized throughout peace processes, including in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration phase and in security sector reform. Rigorous vetting should ensure that perpetrators and those who have directed sexual violence are denied entry to the security sector. There should be strong protection mechanisms for civilians in close proximity of cantonment sites. The best way to ensure these protections is for women themselves to participate meaningfully in SSR and DDR program design and implementation and to have more women working and leading in the security sector. It is clear that female survivors of sexual violence are more likely to report to a female police officer or a women's police station, as our experience in Haiti has borne out. And women's civil society organizations need greater capacity to monitor, inform, and provide security services in conjunction with law enforcement authorities.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We recognize the importance of mediators and envoys in mediation, ceasefire, peace and preventive diplomacy processes engaging with the parties to a conflict in dialogue on sexual violence, and for such violence to be addressed in peace agreements. We agree with the recommendation of the Secretary- General that sexual violence should be included among prohibited acts and reflected as specific provisions in peace agreements related to security arrangements and transitional justice. It should be recalled, in that regard, that the Organization has developed guidelines for mediators on how to address sexual violence in armed conflicts. Those should be included in the training and orientation of teams that negotiate ceasefires and peace agreements.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Botswana strongly supports the involvement of women in peace negotiations, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. We are also supportive of calls for addressing concerns about sexual violence in mediation and peace processes, particularly in the context of security arrangements and transitional justice mechanisms. However, we believe that such efforts should take into consideration the needs and rights of women and children. I also wish to emphasize the importance of enhancing efforts to eliminate obstacles to women's access to justice, as well as of assisting States in conflict and post-conflict situations in their efforts to address sexual violence.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

At the national level, Indonesia's national action plan on human rights serves as a strong platform for our commitment to eliminate and prevent violence against women. The process of drafting a presidential decree is ongoing, as a legal basis to formulate a national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). When completed, the action plan, among things, will cover all phases of the peace process — from prevention to ending conflict to recovery from social conflict.

Country

Russia

Extracts

Combating sexual violence is also an important component of the range of measures needed in peace processes and post-conflict restoration. This type of crime is not a root cause of armed conflict, but rather a result of prevailing impunity. We believe that crimes committed require mandatory punishment, whether they be acts of sexual violence, terrorism or indiscriminate or disproportionate force. After all, the victims of all such acts are totally innocent people.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

Egypt also believes that it is of importance to address sexual violence issues in the early phases of peace processes, in mediation efforts and in ceasefire and peace agreements, particularly in provisions on security arrangements, transitional justice and reparations. Increased attention must be paid to the survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations as an integral part of States' obligations towards them, including by setting up mechanisms aimed at preventing the recurrence of such crimes and by providing them with all the services and assistance they need, including rehabilitation and reintegration support.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We note that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has introduced a robust policy on women refugees, has prepared action guidelines for the protection of women refugees and will continue to include the gender dimension in its assistance and protection work.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

However, with the same firmness with which we require comprehensive protection for victims, we would like to say that it is vital that women be included in all decisions that affect their lives, as participation promotes protection.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

That is why we agree with the idea that all peacekeeping mandates should explicitly include the gender perspective in the protection of civilians and incorporate specific guidelines on preventing, eradicating and punishing all forms of violence against women, with a focus on human rights, as well as a full and multidimensional understanding of that scourge. We also support the idea of a special adviser for all peacekeeping missions in the area of human rights for women and gender and ensuring the resources necessary to effectively implement the Council's resolutions and incorporate follow-up mechanisms for the analysis and presentation of reports on violence against women, particularly sexual violence. The impact of conflicts on women is not only determined by the nature or level of the conflict, but also by the particular role of each women.

Extracts

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda recommends that the problem of sexual violence be addressed directly as part of any post- conflict or peacebuilding process. That should include United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations and security sector reform processes or be part of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Whether through legislative reforms, awareness-raising campaigns and the training of police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates or the recruitment of more women to such positions, we must insist that national authorities take proactive steps to protect women and girls. Due consideration should also be given to the prosecution of sexual violence through transitional justice arrangements. In Rwanda, the destigmatization of sexual violence, which empowered victims and gave them a voice, was a central element of the post-genocide justice.

Country

Extracts

Country

France

Extracts

Protection is first. On the ground, women's protection advisers are bringing greater awareness of sexual violence issues to the daily work of the Blue Helmets. Their role is crucial, and France hopes that their deployment within peacekeeping missions and political missions will be expanded. Above all, when they have the mandate to do so, missions should provide the resources necessary to help the work of these advisers.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We are grateful to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive briefing to the Council. The Secretary- General has placed women's protection issues high on his agenda and has put the power of the United Nations behind the efforts to combat heinous acts of violence against women.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We welcome Special Representative Zainab Hawa Bangura's exhaustive briefing today. We pay tribute to her for her solid work and for the passion with which she pursues her mission. We appreciate the presence and testimony of the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Civil society has a crucial role in protecting the rights of women in conflict situations.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The United Nations does much to deal with the protection of women in situations of armed conflict. We all know that that is not enough. Much more needs to be done. It is imperative to continue to mainstream the gender perspective into peacekeeping operations. As the largest troop-contributing country, we can testify to the fact that the appointment of gender advisers in the field has served a useful purpose. That practice must be strengthened. We are proud of our women peacekeepers, who have served as police officers, doctors and nurses in peacekeeping operations in Asia, Africa and the Balkans. We have made gender sensitization a mandatory part of the training of our peacekeepers.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The Council has set a good example by sending strong signals that sexual and gender-based violence is unacceptable. We should give due credit to the Security Council for transforming the protection of women in armed conflict situations from a soft to a hard issue. Full compliance with international humanitarian law, an end to impunity, and accountability for the perpetrators of crimes against women, including in transitional justice mechanisms, are now widely accepted norms of international law.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Finally — and this is not an exhaustive list — the early-warning mechanisms established in peacekeeping operations show that they are limited in their ability to effectively protect women and girls in times of armed conflict. For all of those reasons, it is important that the measures already undertaken by the United Nations be strengthened in order to ensure respect for all the relevant instruments and resolutions through, among other things, the firm commitment on the part of States to shoulder their responsibilities and deal with those involved in serious violations of human rights.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Less than a week ago, I am pleased to say, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of Eight in London adopted a declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict, which explicitly seeks to carry forward resolution 1325 (2000) and its successors, and contributes to the normative framework of resolutions on children and armed conflict. That declaration rightly recalls once again that the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children are at the foundation of our fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Women's and girls' protection and empowerment, particularly in fragile, conflict and post-conflict situations — and even in so-called stable societies — remain a major concern and an overriding challenge for all of us. Noble initiatives such as resolution 1325 (2000), the 2010 United Nations seven- point action plan on gender-responsive peacebuilding and other international, regional and national peace and security frameworks that place women and girls at the centre of peace and security continue to remain largely unfulfilled.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

We have carefully studied the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149) in the context of today's discussion. In that connection, we would like to express our appreciation for the information it contains, as well as for its conclusions, which should give powerful impetus to and pave the way for efforts aimed at curbing sexual violence against women, children and the elderly in armed conflict. The report describes the achievements of the States concerned in complying with the relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as in taking measures to prevent sexual violence. It also mentions a number of legal and institutional obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the ideal of full protection for women and children in conflict, as well as incorporating and integrating them into the fabric of society.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

The Kingdom of Morocco commends the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, particularly in the area of fostering and preserving the progress that has been made, as well as for affirming the shared responsibility of society for combating sexual violence. By the same token, we commend the United Nations initiative on combating sexual violence so as to help those working in peacekeeping operations, as well as to create partnerships between the United Nations and interested parties for strengthening national competence and skills in order to help curb sexual violence committed by parties to a conflict and to protect and support survivors. Implementing such partnerships, and the provision of adequate resources for their effective use, will contribute to achieving these humanitarian goals. By the same token, we would also like to emphasize the importance of taking into consideration the various views and standpoints, and of consulting with the relevant States concerning the establishment of early detection mechanisms for preventing sexual violence.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to the implementation of reporting and oversight mechanisms — and in accordance with resolution 1960 (2010), as mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General — we hope that such measures will serve as the basis for evidence-based actions. Such measures should be objective and meticulous in monitoring sexual violence in conflict and should be carried out in an atmosphere of complete objectivity and independence. They should also primarily relate to Security Council resolutions, aim at supporting international efforts to protect women and girls in conflict and underscore the importance of preventing such crimes.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to prevention, the report of the Secretary-General states that the establishment of refugee camps near conflict areas and the difficulty of gaining access to them, in addition to the lack of registration records for refugees, impede efforts to safeguard refugees and to alleviate their daily suffering.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

In many countries, developing codes of conduct for security and police forces is very important to providing comprehensive protection from sexual violence. In that connection, I wish to acknowledge the efforts made by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict while taking into consideration factors related to national expertise and experience, with a view to reforming the judiciary and facilitating access to it for victims.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I was also delighted last week to participate in the Group of Eight ministerial meeting in London, which endorsed the historic declaration on the prevention of sexual violence in conflict. The declaration represents important political and financial support. It gives us additional momentum at a crucial moment. The impetus afforded by such support at the highest levels of the international system is key to driving forward the prevention and protection agenda on the ground.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

We have an opportunity, unlike at any time in history, to break the back of this age-old evil. We must believe that sexual violence in conflict is not inevitable. To eradicate it is not a “mission impossible”, but will require political leadership and political courage, matched by bold protection initiatives on the ground. It is our hope, therefore, that, on the basis of the Secretary-General's report and his recommendations, the Security Council will once again show its resolve and unity of purpose and adopt in June a new resolution on sexual violence in conflict — one focused on accountability and prevention so as to further consolidate and institutionalize the sexual violence response in the context of the United Nations peace and security architecture and Council mandates. May this be a decisive moment — our moment to put an end to the crime that is a blight on our collective humanity.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Unfortunately, not all grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including acts of sexual violence, have received due attention and response at the international and regional levels. Measures that are more resolute and targeted are required to end impunity in such situations. Commitments to protection efforts must be free of selectivity and politically motivated approaches and preferences. In that regard, Azerbaijan notes the role played by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict pursuant to her mandate.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

It is important that the Security Council consistently maintain its focus on protection efforts, including sexual violence in conflict. Azerbaijan will support more systematic and frequent discussion on the topic.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

Genital mutilation was eliminated in 2008, and the criminal justice system has introduced provisions relating to war crimes so as to protect women from all forms of violence in Darfur; that was done in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund and the human rights office in the Sudan. We have also strengthened the World Health Organization protocol on the protection of victims of rape, making it possible to file a complaint and receive reparations. In 2010, a law criminalizing child abuse was enacted.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

At the community level, improving prevention of sexual violence requires better understanding of existing protection mechanisms and leveraging grassroots networks that can provide local information to inform prevention efforts. There is progress in this area, for example, the Community Policing Centers run by displaced persons in camps in Darfur and the enlistment of imams as advocates for sexual violence prevention in South Darfur.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

The Security Council's engagement with the issue of women and peace and security has greatly contributed to our common efforts to improve the lives of women in conflict situations around the world. The resolutions adopted by the Council have not only created a comprehensive body of norms and tools, but have also stimulated discussion, self-criticism and progress on the protection and promotion of women's rights.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

We also avail ourselves of this opportunity to highlight the importance of the recent adoption of the agreed conclusions on the prevention of sexual violence at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which, among other goals, seek to ensure that in armed conflict and post-conflict situations the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, are effectively addressed. We must all strive towards enabling more protection for women and girls in conflict situations and encourage the empowerment of women and their systematic inclusion and meaningful participation at all levels.

Country

Spain

Extracts

It is an issue of great concern that affects sensitive areas, such as the protection of civilians in all kinds of armed conflict, the displacement of populations and peacebuilding processes, without forgetting its undeniable connection with other scourges, such as trafficking in persons.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Combating sexual violence in conflict requires the adoption of measures for the prevention, protection and prosecution of the perpetrators. In all those areas, the victims' cooperation is essential. However, as the Secretary-General's report points out, the lack of adequate information and fear of reporting for cultural and social reasons, which tend to increase in times of conflict, are serious obstacles to such collaboration. We must therefore, to the greatest extent possible, reinforce mechanisms designed to help victims, raise awareness about their surroundings and strengthen the capacity of national courts.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Most recently, the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women adopted the agreed conclusions on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. That document was widely hailed by Governments, United Nations officials and civil society as a huge step forward and a historic global agreement in the ongoing efforts to protect women and girls from violence.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

We underscore the responsibility of States and parties to conflict to observe and uphold their international obligations and respect international humanitarian law, which grants special protection to women and children.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Secondly, with respect to the notion of criminal responsibility, the report is at pains to address the duty to prosecute those culpable for the commission of crimes of sexual violence. In that regard, my

delegation expresses the importance of adopting and implementing action plans and legislation aimed at protecting victims from violence and holding perpetrators accountable. In cases where the Security
Council is called upon to intervene, appropriate measures should be taken to reaffirm the outright interdiction of those crimes and the criminal liability of those responsible for their commission. It is
imperative that the work of monitoring and prosecuting crimes of sexual violence be characterized by justice and equity and not political interests, which could undermine noble motivations and efforts to
combat such crimes.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia notes with deep concern the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war and one that worsens its consequences, as highlighted in the Secretary- General's report. Against that backdrop, Indonesia condemns all forms of violence against women and girls in armed conflicts, particularly sexual violence, which, as the report states, predominantly affects women and girls but can also affect men and boys. We wish to reaffirm our support for resolution 1325 (2000), the first to specifically address the impact of war on women and women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. The follow-up Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security also constitute a milestone for protection and empowerment measures for women in the special situation of conflict.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

In conclusion, I would like to recall the significant thematic connection between the discussions on sexual violence in armed conflict and the protection of civilians. We commend the fact that the Security Council takes into account the link between those two topics through a consistent approach.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

In adopting resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010), the Security Council sent the clear message that sexual violence would not be tolerated and that ending sexual violence was essential for maintaining international peace and security. All States have the moral and legal responsibility to uphold the rights of all citizens, including women, and to protect them from sexual violence.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Before concluding, I wish to state that the international community has a key role to play in supporting continuous efforts aimed at ending all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence, in conflict-affected and post-conflict countries. For our part, Afghanistan remains firmly committed to playing its part in ensuring the full protection of women's rights around the world and to preventing sexual violence and all other forms of violations of human rights.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

The deployment of peacekeepers with an explicit mandate to protect civilians from sexual violence has been a very important step. But the challenge is to ensure that such deployment delivers results effectively in the field. Peacekeepers must be supported with appropriate training and resources to enable them to fulfil their protection mandate. We note, for example, that the Intervention Brigade in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is specifically mandated, in resolution 2098 (2013), to contribute to civilian security, which necessarily includes protection from sexual violence.

Country

Japan

Extracts

I would like to touch on Japan's primary policy. Conflict-related sexual violence should be tackled by the international community as a whole. Japan places great emphasis on this issue. As our Foreign Minister stated in a recent speech on foreign policy, Japan will continue to address this issue, and will participate actively in international initiatives on human rights issues, including the protection of women's rights. Last month, Japan announced a new contribution of $4.5 million for programmes aimed at preventing sexual violence and supporting victims in countries such as Libya, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Mali.

Country

Japan

Extracts

Japan condemns attacks on women's human rights defenders and emphasizes that Member States should take steps to ensure the protection of such defenders. We also recognize the importance of multisectoral services for victims of sexual violence. In that regard, our recent contribution addresses various needs of victims, including, for example, the establishment of relief and recovery systems for legal support and mental-health care in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons.

Country

Japan

Extracts

Before concluding, I am very pleased to announce that Japan has begun to develop a national action plan based on resolution 1325 (2000). We are hard at work on the plan, which includes our commitment to further strengthening our efforts to help protect women's rights in humanitarian settings. We are in close consultation with United Nations organizations such as UN-Women, and hope to complete the plan as soon as possible.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

The Security Council has recognized that the protection of women is a critical priority for peace and security. Resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010) clearly establish the fight against sexual violence in its agenda. The Council has created the necessary tools to obtain reliable and accurate information on sexual violence: a common definition of sexual violence and common methodologies for data collection through a monitoring and reporting mechanism are now used throughout the system. Another promising tool at the disposal of Member States is the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law, and Portugal welcomes the technical cooperation that was provided at the request of national authorities in six countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

The elimination of gender-based violence is a shared responsibility. We are tackling the issues, working with all stakeholders to address the issue of rape and sexual violence with a strong campaign to prevent it, protect victims and deal with perpetrators. Solomon Islands has institutionalized Government- wide structures to deal with the issue nationally, working with all the relevant stakeholders. We have in place a national steering committee to monitor the progress in the implementation of the policy, which reports to the national task force.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

The State of Qatar understands that, as highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149), there are still obstacles to women's participation and representation in decision-making, peace and transitional processes and that all regional and international bodies should support international standards to enhance women's participation in the protection of women's and girls' human rights, as well as in efforts at establishing peace.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

We cannot talk about women and peace and security without dealing with the root causes of the problem. The protection of women is therefore not just a humanitarian issue but also an one that guides our efforts in many fields, especially in the application of rules for the protection of women in times of conflict without discrimination or selectivity. We must call on all parties to conflicts to take special measures to protect women and girls from sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

In 2012, the United Nations stated that, whatever the geography of conflict and its structural causes, from Côte d'Ivoire to Mali and from Libya to those affected by the earthquake in Haiti — in every instance — over 70 per cent of those displaced were been women and children. We know that women in camps, women refugees and displaced women are particularly at risk of becoming victims of violence, exploitation and poverty. However, just as clearly, we do not accept that that should be their fate.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

However, UN-Women recently announced that, of the 585 peace agreements signed between 1990 and 2010, only 16 per cent mentioned women. Seventeen per cent refer to gender equality, and only 3 per cent make any reference at all to gender-based sexual violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We are aware that there is much more to do. It is terrible and painful to acknowledge that women and girls have been and remain the main victims of violence in armed conflicts, specifically of sexual and gender-based violence. It is particularly serious that such violence is often abetted by the indifference and complicity of those responsible for protecting civilians — and women and children — who may include members of a State's armed and security forces, peacekeeping operations or non-governmental organization volunteers working in the field.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

That is why we agree with the idea that all peacekeeping mandates should explicitly include the gender perspective in the protection of civilians and incorporate specific guidelines on preventing, eradicating and punishing all forms of violence against women, with a focus on human rights, as well as a full and multidimensional understanding of that scourge. We also support the idea of a special adviser for all peacekeeping missions in the area of human rights for women and gender and ensuring the resources necessary to effectively implement the Council's resolutions and incorporate follow-up mechanisms for the analysis and presentation of reports on violence against women, particularly sexual violence. The impact of conflicts on women is not only determined by the nature or level of the conflict, but also by the particular role of each women.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We agree with the need for security-sector reform, which should include training in human rights, particularly the human rights of women and children, and take into account the need to prevent sexual violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We encourage the training of peacekeepers, both civilian and military and police, and the strengthening of the human rights component, particularly with regard to women's and children's human rights, as well as comprehensively addressing the various forms of violence against women, particularly sexual violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Allow me to refer to work that has been carried out in my country, known as “Cracks in the Silence”, by the women's organization CLADEM, which has investigated sexual violence against women during the period of State terrorism in my country. The investigation helped to reveal the sexual crimes committed during that cruel and painful period. It showed that those crimes had been broadly suppressed and made invisible; not only because seeking justice for individual crimes of sexual violence as individual cases and crimes against humanity — they are not like crimes of torture or abuse — was a difficult and complex process, but because it was also necessary to confront and overcome enormous cultural, political and institutional obstacles in determining the criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the crimes and reparations for the victims.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

In that context, the recommendations issued by the Human Rights Committee to Argentina on bringing the crimes of the recent dictatorship to trial covered gender-based crimes as well. The Committee noted that the State party should continue to make rigorous efforts to prosecute those cases in order to guarantee that serious human rights violations, including those crimes that deprived women of their right to liberty and a life free of violence, not go unpunished.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We can also cite, in that connection, the recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women with regard to proactive measures to publicize trials and punishment for sexual violence perpetrated during dictatorships or conflicts.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

One can say, without exaggeration, that, during times of conflict, very few women have been able to chronicle the sexual violence of which they were victims. That was clearly seen when the International Criminal Tribunal for your country, Madam President, pointed out in the Akayesu case, that cultural sensitivities have a bearing on the discussion of intimate matters. That case, which related to sexuality, revealed the pain, the reticence and the inability of the women concerned to reveal details of sexual violence of which they had been victims.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We also know that feelings not only of guilt, but also of humiliation, contribute to silence. Internalized social shame takes hold of women who have been victims of sexual violence, because sexuality is considered an intimate and private domain. To speak publicly about such things indicates that everybody knows that the victims have been humiliated, violated, raped and forced to submit.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

In that respect, the Commission to Clarify Past Human Rights Violations and Acts of Violence That Have Caused the Guatemalan Population to Suffer indicated in its final report that the absolute impunity protecting those responsible for sexual violations increased women's insecurity and contributed to the victims' not reporting the facts.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We cannot explain why sexual violence against women and sexist and gender-based violence has occurred with growing and overwhelming frequency in armed conflicts, unless we also add to the equation the inequality between men and women, gender stereotypes and the reproduction of hierarchical and discriminatory relationships in which women find themselves materially subordinate and symbolically devalued in various times and cultures.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Women do not become victims by virtue of who they are, or as the result of nature or fate. Women are particularly susceptible to becoming victims of violence in conflict most especially because we are already victims of discrimination during peaceful times.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

In conclusion, allow me to refer briefly to sexual violence in conflicts and to the autonomous nature, specificity and separate nature of sexual crimes, and how they should be viewed differently from other crimes such as torture or cruelty.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

It is apposite, because as we have seen in recent conflicts, specific and systematic forms of sexual violence are carried out against women, young women and girls. In that connection, I would like to share with the Council the testimony of a social activist who, for the simple act of thinking and saying that the world is unjust and unequal, was disappeared, tortured and raped during the recent civilian military dictatorship in my country. “During torture, one discovered that we had resources to withstand very high thresholds of pain, somehow to survive and to live. However, rape is something else. It affects other elements — and they know it because, in addition to the evident, there is an immeasurable amount of inner pain that is not seen like the bruises left by the blows or the burns from the electric shocks, but it is there. It is as if one's body freezes or becomes that of another person, not only at the time but for ever, for life.” We have made progress in jurisprudence. We have made progress in recognizing rights. We must now bring about real equality and the effective eradication of all forms of violence against women.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

I think that remembering, truth, justice and reparation — I say that to you, Madam President, in particular — is the only way to put an end to impunity. Certainly, Rwanda, Argentina and all countries that have suffered extreme violence know that remembering is the basis for moving forward in order to prevent the repetition of such events today, tomorrow, yesterday and forever.

Extracts

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

We welcome the Secretary-General's recent report on sexual violence (S/2013/149), as well as the efforts undertaken by the Special Representative, notably during her visits to the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, to engage leaders and other stakeholders on that most important subject.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

We hope that the Secretary-General's report will enhance the coordination and effectiveness of the global response to the problem of sexual violence. Besides addressing specific challenges facing women and girls in conflict zones, such an approach must incorporate broader peace and security imperatives. Critically, we envisage that it will lead to more effective monitoring of the commitments made by Member States to prevent sexual violence, where possible, and to address its consequences, where necessary.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In conflict settings and, more specifically, those driven by genocide ideology, as my country experienced in 1994, rape and sexual assault are used to punish, humiliate and dehumanize victims, their families and communities. Far from being random acts of brutality, the systematic sexual victimization of women and girls in conflict settings is now well understood as a crime against humanity that demands the urgent attention of the world.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Let me touch on the experience of my country with the intent to offer hope to women victimized by conflict. My country's strong stand on violence against women emanates from the high value it places on women and girls, as well as our national resolution to never again see the cruelty directed to Rwandan women during the 1994 genocide. On a national level and beyond our borders, we take this issue extremely seriously.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Just 19 years ago, Rwandan women were forced to endure inhuman and degrading atrocities. Many were raped and left for dead. Among those who survived, many were infected with incurable diseases; some were made pregnant; many suffered the humiliation of having been abused in front of their families. And yet, the women of Rwanda refused to be defined or defeated by their ordeals. They raised their heads, declining to become permanent victims or objects of pity. They sought justice. They demanded dignity. Inasmuch as Rwanda has been able to reconcile and recover from the events of 1994, it is because of that unshakeable spirit of defiance, found foremost among its women and girls.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

The use of sexual violence in that fashion was exported from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo when genocidal forces escaped into the eastern part of that country, after July 1994. Tragically, that behaviour has been adopted by a plethora of armed groups that operate in the region. As a result, the incidence of such crimes has grown rapidly in recent years. But we must not accept such atrocities as a fact of life. The international community must redouble its efforts to combat the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda, along with those who fund and support them, wherever they are.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

It is a broken society that fails to protect its most vulnerable citizens from sexual violence. The proliferation of such violence is a sure sign of State failure. As such, any society hoping to move beyond crisis and conflict cannot hope to do so until it has corrected its course with respect to the treatment and prevention of sexual violence. Indeed, Rwanda's experience leads us to believe that healing and reconciliation are possible only when women claim their rightful place at the heart of our communities. The Government of Rwanda therefore welcomes this opportunity to express our unequivocal condemnation of all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly in conflict situations.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Impunity breeds and rewards criminality and violence. Only by insisting on justice and by fighting impunity has Rwanda been able to achieve meaningful reconciliation within our borders. The eradication of sexual violence in conflict will not be possible as long as perpetrators are able to escape accountability for their actions. We have come to understand first- hand the importance of strengthening internal justice mechanisms and of building institutions that enhance the accessibility of justice. Rwanda therefore calls upon all Member States to enforce accountability, as well as to desist from harbouring the perpetrators of humanitarian and human rights violations, which shields them from the consequences of their crimes.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda has adopted a range of policies to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and I will touch on only some of those in a moment. First, however, it is important to stress that, as we recoiled from the horrors visited upon our women, the Government and people of Rwanda have worked assiduously to instil a culture of respect within the military and the police force, among boys and girls in the classroom and within families and communities. That has prompted a profound shift in attitude among Rwandans of all ages and walks of life.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In response to the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women and Girls campaign, initiated in 2010, Rwanda hosted an international conference on the role of security organs in ending violence against women and girls. The conference endorsed a declaration and subsequently formed a secretariat to monitor its implementation. With a current membership of 16 countries and a permanent secretariat, based in Kigali, members have developed a standardized training manual to implement an all- Africa command post exercise, code-named Africa UNiTE.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In addition, Rwanda is the leading contributor from Africa of female police and correctional officers to United Nations peace support and peacekeeping missions. Among other duties, those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness about violence against women. They also serve as advisers on gender-based violence and share best practices with officers and local authorities. All our peacekeepers undergo specific training on respect for gender and human rights prior to deployment.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Time does not permit me to outline all the initiatives undertaken by my Government, but I note that Rwanda adopted a national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000) in 2010 and is a party to the Kampala Declaration of the First Ladies on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence of the 2011 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

As expressed during the discussion on the prevention of conflict in Africa earlier this week (see S/PV.6946), Rwanda takes the firm view that lasting peace and security, and therefore the safety of women and girls, are possible only when nations, supported by regional and international bodies, address the root causes of conflict. The degradation of women and girls as part of conflict is unacceptable in any form under any circumstances. Its eradication must be a first-order priority of the Council.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda urges all parties to armed conflict to enforce a clear prohibition on sexual violence, expressed through chains of command, via codes of conduct and military field manuals and in constant training. We further call upon those parties to ensure that alleged abuses are investigated swiftly and perpetrators held accountable.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda reminds civilian and military leaders with command responsibilities that they, too, are accountable for acts of sexual violence committed on their watch. Rwanda will, on a case-by-case basis, support the adoption or extension of targeted sanctions against persistent perpetrators of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda supports calls to include provisions in all peacekeeping mandates that specifically address the prevention of and response to sexual violence. That should include, where appropriate, the identification of women's protection advisers, as the Secretary-General urged earlier in his statement, alongside gender advisers and human rights protection units.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda recommends that the problem of sexual violence be addressed directly as part of any post- conflict or peacebuilding process. That should include United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations and security sector reform processes or be part of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Whether through legislative reforms, awareness-raising campaigns and the training of police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates or the recruitment of more women to such positions, we must insist that national authorities take proactive steps to protect women and girls. Due consideration should also be given to the prosecution of sexual violence through transitional justice arrangements. In Rwanda, the destigmatization of sexual violence, which empowered victims and gave them a voice, was a central element of the post-genocide justice.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

I cannot end without calling upon the international community, non-governmental organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations and other non-State actors operating in affected areas to support the genuine reporting and investigation of sexual crimes.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

That is important to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are able to begin the process of healing. Above all, we call upon all parties to conflict that are responsible for acts of sexual violence to cease such violations.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

It is time, in our view, for the world to move beyond expressions of outrage and, instead, to make concrete and measurable progress towards a world where the bodies of women are no longer considered a battlefield.

Country

France

Extracts

Sexual violence has been a part of all wars in history but, as the Group of Eight recalled in its ministerial statement of 11 April, it has long been seen as an unimportant and secondary issue that does not merit the international community's attention. Sexual violence was never taken into account in the context of conflict resolution or after conflicts. In adopting resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), the Security Council resisted that fate. It took up the issue and broke the silence that hung over that abominable crime.

Country

France

Extracts

Since then, significant progress has been made — political progress, first and foremost, thanks to the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. I welcome her commitment, which has made it possible to increase the international visibility of the issue.

Country

France

Extracts

Finally, with regard to legal progress, the ad hoc tribunals created by the Council, and then the International Criminal Court (ICC), have included acts of sexual violence among the crimes within their jurisdiction. They have been recognized as war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

Country

France

Extracts

That progress was recently confirmed by the Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly on 2 April, which contains provisions against gender- based violence. France vigorously supported that part of the Treaty.

Country

France

Extracts

France also welcomes the zero-tolerance policy for United Nations personnel implemented by the Secretary-General, a policy that should be tirelessly pursued. Similarly, we support the Secretary- General's due diligence policy, his policy of screening peacekeeping and political mission staff with regard to respect for human rights, as well as his policy on restricting contact with persons being sought by the ICC. The Secretary-General has thereby confirmed his commitment to the accountability of the Organization.

Country

France

Extracts

Despite that progress, we have no other choice but to deplore the scope and frequency of sexual violence in conflicts, which is continually being used as a weapon to terrorize civilian populations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in spite of the mobilization of the international community, sexual violence remains omnipresent. Committed by all parties, sexual violence is also perpetuated within the Congolese army, particularly because of shortcomings in the screening, selection and training processes for ex-militia integrated into the Congolese forces. The response to the Minova tragedy should stand as an example. The Congolese authorities must do more, and more quickly, to punish the guilty. They must also take a determined and convincing stand for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes and security sector reform programmes.

Country

France

Extracts

Brave men and women are fighting to end the violence and help the survivors. In that regard, we must pay tribute to the tireless work of Dr. Mukwege and his teams, who have risked their own lives to treat victims of sexual violence in the Congo. They must be heard, supported and protected.

Country

France

Extracts

In Syria, the regime and its supporters are systematically using sexual violence to intimidate civilians and to get them to flee. Those crimes may be added to the long list of those committed by the Syrian armed forces against their own people. France believes that the referral of the matter to the ICC is amply justified.

Country

France

Extracts

After the defeat of the armed groups in northern Mali, justice must follow its course for the victims of sexual violence. The matter has been referred to the ICC. Legal and psychological assistance will need to be provided to victims and survivors. With the assistance of the United Nations, the Malian authorities cannot choose to overlook the issue.

Country

France

Extracts

We are concerned by the teterioration of the security situation in the Central African Republic, where armed groups are guilty of kidnapping and sexual exploitation. Those crimes must stop, and the guilty parties must be pursued.

Country

Extracts

Country

France

Extracts

Protection is first. On the ground, women's protection advisers are bringing greater awareness of sexual violence issues to the daily work of the Blue Helmets. Their role is crucial, and France hopes that their deployment within peacekeeping missions and political missions will be expanded. Above all, when they have the mandate to do so, missions should provide the resources necessary to help the work of these advisers.

Country

France

Extracts

With respect to sanctions, in order for victims to no longer be stigmatized for the crimes they have suffered, we must do away with impunity for sexual violence. National Governments have the primary responsibility to prosecute and punish perpetrators of such crimes. When States fail to uphold their responsibilities, the International Criminal Court should play its role in full. France welcomes the exemplary cooperation between the Court and the countries concerned that led to the transfer to The Hague of Mr. Bosco Ntganda.

Country

France

Extracts

To protect, to sanction and, finally, to prevent — for that, the participation of women in the resolution of conflicts represents a basic element. It will, for example, be a significant dimension for reconciliation in Mali, which France took into account in the draft resolution currently being discussed.

Country

France

Extracts

France, within the framework of its national action plan for implementing resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security, is financing anti-violence programmes in six countries in Africa and the Arab world being implemented by UN-Women. The staff we are sending abroad from our country are trained in issues of sexual violence, and we support the integration of gender issues in peacekeeping schools in Africa.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Conflict-related sexual violence is an issue that, in recent years, has continued to rise on the international agenda. Such attention has been driven by several factors, including the sustained leadership shown by the Council; the work of the Secretary-General and the authoritative and passionate voice of his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict; and the efforts of Member States and those of civil society organizations, which do so much to amplify the voices of marginalized women and men.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Last week's forthright Group of Eight declaration is clear evidence of how high-profile the issue has become. I would like to commend the United Kingdom on the leadership that it has demonstrated with its Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. We look forward to that momentum being maintained with a further Security Council debate in June.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Such high-profile action and momentum — and even more of both — are desperately needed. The recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) sets out the brutal realities facing women in conflict situations today. It does not shirk from going into exhaustive and difficult detail. That includes the 1,700 rape cases registered in and around Mogadishu last year, almost one third of which involved child victims; the use of sexual violence in Syria during house searches, at checkpoints and in detention; and the scale, savagery and systematic nature of conflict-related sexual violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Despite its range and specificity, the Secretary- General's report is far from comprehensive. As the report points out, sexual violence is almost universally underreported. The information it presents is therefore only indicative of the scope and character of sexual violence being committed against women, children and men.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The report needs to be updated almost as soon as it is written. As an example, the latest information reaching us about the Central African Republic suggests a situation out of control, with sexual violence employed on all sides as an instrument of conflict.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Faced with such horrors, how can we translate the concern voiced around this table into meaningful action on the ground? I would like to focus on just three points, following on from the European Union statement and from the statement by the representative of Canada on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security, both of which Ireland has aligned itself with.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The first issue relates to ending impunity, which is absolutely critical to ensuring both accountability and effective deterrence. That requires a multi-pronged approach: building national capacity to investigate and prosecute acts of sexual violence; further steps to ensure that international criminal justice deals with sexual violence in a more systematic and consistent manner; and further consideration of how the Security Council can act more effectively in applying targeted sanctions.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The steps already taken by the Security Council in relation to targeted sanctions are welcome and significant, but there is more to be done. As the non-profit organization Security Council Report identified in its recent cross-cutting report, political caution in the Council has precluded a more ambitious use of sanctions in the women, peace and security context. To achieve more traction and to deliver more results, the Council needs to be more consistent and comprehensive in its approach.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

One of the core recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report is that all the Security Council Sanctions Committees include a focus on crimes of sexual violence and that the Council expand its institutional capacity so as to develop ways to apply sanctions where no such committees are in place. Ireland strongly endorses that recommendation, and we hope at our next open debate, in June, to hear of progress being made towards its fulfillment.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The second issue concerns the deployment of women's protection advisers. One particular innovation that has made a real difference and has had a catalytic impact on the ground is the deployment of more women's protection advisers to missions. I reiterate the call by the Group of Friends for the necessary and specific budgetary resources to be identified to ensure that women's protection advisers are deployed where they are needed in all the relevant Security Council- mandated missions.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

As we know, sexual violence in conflict is vicious and pitiless, and there is no sign of it abating. Rather, the roll call of shame continues to grow ever longer. Insofar as today's debate strengthens our resolve and brings us closer to achieving a real and life-changing impact on the ground, it will indeed be worthwhile.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We are grateful to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive briefing to the Council. The Secretary- General has placed women's protection issues high on his agenda and has put the power of the United Nations behind the efforts to combat heinous acts of violence against women.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Women and girls are targeted deliberately. Sexual and gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict affects the dignity not only of victims and survivors but also of families, communities and societies. It causes moral and psychosocial injury and is used as a tactic of war to force the displacement of populations and to illegally acquire natural resources.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Over the years, the Security Council has paid close attention to the cause of protecting the human rights of vulnerable groups in situations of armed conflict. The issue of women and peace and security has been integrated into the Council's country-specific resolutions. That increased emphasis has resulted in a normative framework that is reflected in a series of resolutions on women and children, as well as the creation of the posts of special representatives of the Secretary-General to deal with the issues of children and sexual violence. The Secretary-General has reflected those concerns in various reports. Over time, communication among the field offices, the Secretariat and the Council has also improved.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Such mechanisms and measures have provided relief and justice to the affected populations, but it is a long haul. In that context, we support Special Representative Bangura's call to all parties to conflicts to immediately put an end to violence against women and make specific, time-bound commitments to ensure the non-recurrence of such acts, under the appropriate monitoring mechanisms.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The Council has set a good example by sending strong signals that sexual and gender-based violence is unacceptable. We should give due credit to the Security Council for transforming the protection of women in armed conflict situations from a soft to a hard issue. Full compliance with international humanitarian law, an end to impunity, and accountability for the perpetrators of crimes against women, including in transitional justice mechanisms, are now widely accepted norms of international law.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

In order to give more credence to its actions, the Council must be ready to take targeted and graduated measures, through the relevant Sanctions Committees, against perpetrators of sexual violence. We endorse the Secretary-General's recommendation of applying specific sanctions against parties to armed conflict that use sexual violence as a tactic of war.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We believe that the Member States concerned bear the primary legal and moral responsibility for preventing and addressing sexual violence. We urge the Special Representative to continue to work closely with Member States and regional organizations to ensure that such concerns are addressed.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The continued appointment of trained gender and women protection advisers and the provision of multisectoral assistance and services for victims have proved beneficial. Adequate resources must be allocated for that purpose.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We support the Special Representative's call to strengthen national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to victims of sexual violence. Technical assistance may be provided, on request, to concerned States for reforming and rebuilding the judicial, legislative and electoral sectors, as well as for the economic, social and political empowerment of women.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

In conclusion, I would say that punitive measures do not provide all the answers. We must invest in consciousness-raising, dialogue and engagement. Societies in conflict must address the root causes, resolve their differences and avoid hurting their own communities and nations or fellow human beings across borders. Humanity and humanitarianism, not primordial barbarism, must prevail.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Sexual violence today has reached an intolerable level. In fact, women and girls are victims of all kinds of violence, particularly rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, pregnancy or forced sterilization, forced marriage, kidnappings and many other form of violence. The number of victims of sexual violence has increased, particularly in Africa with the appearance of new armed groups, such as the Mouvement du 23 Mars, the Mai-Mai Morgan, the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda and the rebel Séléka coalition.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Sometimes, the Government forces of countries in conflict have themselves also committed the same violations. Rape has become a war strategy aimed at humiliating the enemy and establishing domination. The figures relating to violence against women and girls are considerable, particularly in the Central African Republic, where the rebels of the Séléka coalition and the Lords Resistance Army operate. In Mali, for example, we have also seen an increase in the number of crimes of sexual violence at a time when the northern region of the country was occupied by rebel groups. Several dozen cases of sexual violence have been reported.

Country

Togo

Extracts

We cannot fail to mention the situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where for several years women and children have been the favourite targets of armed groups. The atrocities committed are sometimes impossible to describe — simply horrific. Given those unimaginable atrocities, we must ask ourselves why this is happening. Looking for the underlying causes for the violence leads us to deduce that it is basically linked to economic and social considerations. Because of economic factors, armed groups have resorted to organized sexual violence so as to force the displacement of populations in order to pillage the natural resources of the regions where they operate. Likewise, they engage in violence against entire communities, often on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion, with the aim of establishing the domination of their own ethnic group in order to satisfy their political ambitions.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Another question that we ask ourselves pertains to the reasons for the persistence of these serious violations of human rights and the exponential increase in the number of victims. There are sociological reasons, first of all, which are linked to the refusal of women and girls to report the facts to the authorities because of their fear of reprisals, stigmatization or being punished or rejected by their spouses or their communities.

Country

Togo

Extracts

It appears to us, then, that one of the reasons has to do with the fact that the parties to the conflict do not respect their obligations under the relevant international legal instruments in the area of humanitarian law and human rights in times of armed conflict, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their 1977 Protocol. It has also been seen that States parties to a number of conventions, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its optional protocol and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocol, lack the political will to implement the relevant provisions. Moreover, a number of Security Council resolutions and presidential statements are not being applied by States, especially not by the belligerents. They are simply ignored by the parties involved despite the fact that they have full responsibility to implement them.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Impunity cannot be the rule. In that regard, the United Nations must help States to establish appropriate cooperation mechanisms, particularly through bilateral or regional extradition agreements to deal with perpetrators. Effective mechanisms must also be put into place that take into account the needs of women who have been victims of sexual violence, who are often abandoned to their fate.

Country

Togo

Extracts

The international community, above all the United Nations, must become more involved on a legal level in the search for solutions to the problems raised by the commission of these horrific sexual crimes, particularly rape. That means that they must encourage recourse to national courts or international courts competent in that area to apprehend the perpetrators and thus fight against impunity. Unfortunately, in this area, the justice system itself has many problems for various reasons, including the fact that the judicial system is often slow and not independent. The international investigation commissions do not always have sufficient funds to adequately establish the facts. There is also a lack of cooperation between States and international jurisdictions with regard to the implementation of the international arrest warrants and other decisions.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Despite all of those difficulties and obstacles, we can say that courageous action has been carried out by the United Nations, particularly by UN-Women, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and a number of international and non-governmental organizations. Togo commends all of those efforts undertaken to fight against this scourge and welcomes the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149).

Country

Togo

Extracts

Thirdly, we should promote or regularly conduct, at all levels, campaigns and programmes to increase the awareness and understanding among the public at large of the different forms and consequences of the various forms of violence against women, especially sexual violence, which has serious consequences for women, society and development.

Country

Togo

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) and the statements made today make clear that, over the past three and a half years, effective action has been taken by the United Nations to prevent and address the scourge of sexual violence in conflict. We also note with satisfaction the activities and initiatives undertaken by UN-Women, including through the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, to which Turkey is a contributor.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Despite those efforts, sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent. Both the report of the Secretary- General and the findings of the international commission of inquiry indicate the occurrence of serious cases of sexual violence in the course of the conflict taking place just across our border with Syria. In that regard, we welcome the intention of Special Representative Bangura to visit Syria to investigate the reports of abuses.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The latest report of the Secretary-General to the Council (S/2013/149) reaffirms the pervasiveness of sexual violence and its interconnection with various aspects of the maintenance of peace and security. We note, in that regard, the attention drawn to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the forcible displacement of civilian populations and the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The recently adopted United Nations Arms Trade Treaty states that the risk of conventional arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender- based violence needs to be taken into account by its State parties. That reaffirms that sexual violence needs, from the start, to be considered as part of all actions to ensure international peace and security in order for them to be effective.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

Sexual violence has, in addition to its devastating impact on survivors, a broad and long-lasting effect on communities and on States as a whole for generations, not least through the plight of the children born as a result of rape. Sexual violence continues to be perpetrated as a tactic of war, including against men and boys and in the context of detention and interrogation, on which further information is needed.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent, yet universally under-reported. That is, inter alia, the result of threats faced by those who come forward to report such crimes. We underline the need to take all measures necessary to protect survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers, medical personnel, human rights defenders and journalists who contribute to aiding survivors and collect information on sexual violence. The European Union's guidelines on human rights defenders devote particular attention to vulnerable human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders and those working on conflict issues.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent, yet universally under-reported. That is, inter alia, the result of threats faced by those who come forward to report such crimes. We underline the need to take all measures necessary to protect survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers, medical personnel, human rights defenders and journalists who contribute to aiding survivors and collect information on sexual violence. The European Union's guidelines on human rights defenders devote particular attention to vulnerable human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders and those working on conflict issues.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

We support the continued application of targeted and graduated measures by the relevant Security Council Sanctions Committees aimed at perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, as well as other measures at the Council's disposal, including referrals to the ICC, mandating commissions of inquiry and further steps towards ensuring systematic monitoring of commitments by parties to conflict under its resolution 1960 (2010).

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

We strongly condemn the systematic and widespread use of sexual violence, referred to in the report, which is used to punish, intimidate and subjugate women and girls in Mali, as well as the use of rape as a tactic of war in rebel-controlled zones. The report also refers to two distinct trends regarding sexual violence identified by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic in its reports: the occurrence of sexual violence during house searches and at checkpoints and the perpetration of rape and torture in the context of detention. We also note the two major patterns of sexual violence detected by the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of Congo — systematic targeting by armed groups of civilians so as to control areas rich in natural resources, and retaliation against communities, often on the basis of the real or perceived ethnicity of the survivors, for supposed political and economic gain.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union continues to implement its dedicated policy on women, peace and security adopted in 2008. The European Union support to various initiatives related to women, peace and security amounts to approximately €200 million a year. The European Union is envisaging increased funding for prevention and response efforts, such as programming to combat gender-based violence, including sexual violence, from the first phase of conflict and in humanitarian emergencies.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union now has gender advisors and/or human rights focal points in each of its crisis management missions and operations throughout the world. We continue our work on specific training modules on human rights and gender in crisis management, while ensuring a focus on sexual violence in armed conflicts. We continue to work closely with UN-Women and support initiatives to ensure greater participation by women in peacebuilding and post- conflict planning.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union and its member States highly appreciate the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, including its coordination with other international entities such as Justice Rapid Response and the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, as well as the recent commitments of the Group of Eight to do more to address impunity for sexual violence in conflict, including the endorsement of the development of an international protocol on the investigation and documentation of sexual violence in conflict. We continue to support its efforts, as well as those of the United Nations system, Member States and all actors involved in preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

With resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010), we have given ourselves the means to act in the fight against the scourge of sexual violence in conflict. Today's open debate is an opportunity to take stock of the implementation of those resolutions and the challenges that lie ahead.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The evidence is clear: sexual violence in conflict spares no one. It affects adults and children, men as well as women, as evidenced by the increasingly frequent acts of sexual violence against men and boys as a tactic of war or in the context of incarceration or interrogation. The violence documented in Syria, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo is the sad illustration of those facts.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The situations of sexual violence in conflict are varied and widespread. That is why it is important for the Security Council to choose, from the arsenal at its disposal, the tools most suited to the different situations.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The Council's actions set an example, and its responsibility in this area is essential. That is clear in the explicit references to the agenda on women and peace and security in the agreed conclusions recently adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women, whose main theme, as I recall, was the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Less than a week ago, I am pleased to say, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of Eight in London adopted a declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict, which explicitly seeks to carry forward resolution 1325 (2000) and its successors, and contributes to the normative framework of resolutions on children and armed conflict. That declaration rightly recalls once again that the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children are at the foundation of our fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The Council must be fully informed before acting, which is why it is so important to establish follow-up, analysis and information-exchange mechanisms within peacekeeping operations and political missions and to provide for the deployment of sufficient numbers of women protection advisers, who have a crucial role to play in the coordination of the implementation of Security Council resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence. Luxemburg will remain committed to ensuring that future mandates, as well as the renewal of existing mandates, take into consideration this important aspect. As the Secretary-General underscored this morning, it is important to constantly incorporate that aspect into mission planning and budgeting.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Once the perpetrators of sexual violence have been identified, the Council can and must, through the adoption of targeted measures, step up pressure on those responsible so that they are brought to justice before a competent court and judged. The Council should be able to draw on such an instrument systematically, in our view, following the practices established by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the inclusion on Sanctions Committee lists of those suspected of acts of sexual violence. Information provided by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General would be highly useful in that regard.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

It is under national jurisdictions that perpetrators should primarily be tried, and we must therefore support national Governments in their fight against impunity. Based on the principle of complementarity, international criminal justice still has an important role to play, and we very much welcome the efforts undertaken in that regard by the International Criminal Court.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

In that context, it is noteworthy that a second arrest warrant has been issued against General Bosco Ntaganda, incorporating the major accusations of crimes against humanity, rape and sexual slavery. Today, Bosco Ntaganda is in The Hague to be judged for his crimes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Member States that contributed to his transfer to the Court.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Every victory against impunity is a victory against sexual violence, for only the certainty that a crime will not go unpunished is a real deterrent. The fight against impunity is also the first step in reinstating the rights of victims. It is not the only step: it is also necessary to take measures such as granting compensation to repair, as far as possible, the consequences of the damage caused.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

We know the extent to which crisis resolution and post-conflict situations are volatile and precarious. That is why it is important once again to ensure the involvement of women in peace processes so that peace and ceasefire agreements fully and systematically take into account the issue of sexual violence.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The fight against sexual violence must also be integrated into all security sector and justice reform processes worthy of the name. In that regard, Luxemburg has supported a number of workshops, including in South Sudan and Liberia, aimed at strengthening the contribution of United Nations peacekeeping operations to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, they sought to ensure that women were better represented at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Conflict-related sexual violence is not inevitable. But to bring it to an end, we must take into account the magnitude of this scourge. The alarming report before us today makes it cleat that sexual violence in conflict, although it varies with context, is systematic and universally widespread. It is up to us all to take on our responsibility to bring it to an end.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

In conclusion, we hope that today's debate, the Special Representative's briefings to the Council on specific situations, such as that on Syria tomorrow, as well as the discussions the Council will hold over the coming months on this topic will enable real results to be achieved. In terms of follow-up, it would be particularly worthwhile to establish, as proposed by the Secretary-General, a system that would better enable us to monitor the fulfilment of commitments undertaken to fight sexual violence by the parties to a conflict in implementation of resolution 1960 (2010).

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia is proud of having been a sponsor of resolution 1820 (2008), on women and peace and security, wherein for the first time in a Security Council resolution sexual violence was recognized as a tactic of war and where it is noted that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide. We welcome the numerous steps taken in this field within the framework of the United Nations and commend, among other things, the work of UN-Women and the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Concerning the latest developments in the United Nations, we welcome the adoption of the agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in which the Commission urged States to strongly condemn violence against women and girls committed in armed conflict and post-conflict situations and called for effective measures of accountability and redress, as well as effective remedies.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia is also very satisfied that the Arms Trade Treaty, recently adopted by the General Assembly, includes strong human rights and international humanitarian law criteria. In assessing the export of conventional arms, each country has to take into account the risk of those arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children. We believe that the effective implementation of the Treaty will make a difference in the world. We urge States to apply the relevant articles that are provisionally pending prior to the Treaty's entry into force.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

We appreciate the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149) on which today's discussion is based. The report gives a shiver-raising overview of how widespread the terrible scourge of sexual violence still is. It also pointedly highlights emerging concerns such as the plight of children born out of rape, the practice of forced marriages by armed groups, sexual violence against men and boys, the displacement of civilian populations and the inadequacy of disarmament efforts. We note with serious concern that, as reported, sexual violence has been used to force internal and cross- border displacement in many places of the world and that women and children are also targeted both inside and outside refugee and internally displaced persons camps and settlements.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

We share the assessment of Special Representative that fostering national ownership, leadership and responsibility in addressing sexual violence are some of the most important aspects in the fight against sexual violence. It is essential that local communities consider sexual violence as a crime. Regrettably, as noted in the report, often, as a consequence of being raped in conflict, there are reports of coerced marriages of survivors to either the perpetrator or their family members. It is certain, as the report also notes, that compelling rape survivors to marry the perpetrators re-victimizes them. That results in impunity for perpetrators and sends the message that sexual violence is socially acceptable.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

There is a wide range of tools available for preventing crimes of sexual violence, as well as for holding perpetrators accountable. The use of targeted sanctions by the Security Council, with a focus on specific individuals or entities suspected of bearing the greatest responsibility for such crimes, is an important aspect of deterrence. We welcome the fact that the Council has expanded its designation criteria to explicitly address sexual and gender-based violence. We look forward to the consistent application of that tool.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia would welcome having all the Security Council Sanctions Committees consider focusing on crimes of sexual violence. In that context, it might be necessary to harmonize designation criteria for listed individuals and entities by including any relevant charges from the international justice mechanisms and, importantly, from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Country

Estonia

Extracts

The International Criminal Court itself has a unique role in setting a new tone in the fight against impunity for sexual and gender-based violence. The Rome Statute of the ICC prohibits an unprecedented number of gender crimes, including rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization and other forms of sexual violence as war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Allow me to note that Estonia confirms its commitment to ending impunity and fighting sexual violence through its financial contributions in the field as well. In 2013, Estonia contributed financially to a UNICEF project in the Central African Republic for the prevention and response to gender-based violence. Also this year, Estonia will be contributing financially to the activities of the Office of the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and to the ICC Trust Fund for Victims.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

In our view, the next important step for the United Nations would be to further implement monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict- related sexual violence. We would also urge the further deployment of female protection advisers to Security Council-mandated missions. We must support the non-governmental organizations working in the field and protection for women's human rights defenders. It should also be noted that the overall goal of achieving women's empowerment and participation in society is inextricably linked to the fight against gender-based violence.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Council's work on the issue of women and peace and security, including in the area of sexual violence in conflict, and to confirm my country's strong support for an even more systematic and comprehensive approach to that important issue.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Finally, I would like to remind the Council of something Ms. Bangura said recently: “I am sure there will come a time where the only place we can read about sexual violence in conflict is in the textbooks.” Estonia will be there to support that aim.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

The unfortunate and sobering reality today is that women are still part of the battleground. They are marginalized, harassed, raped, abducted, humiliated, killed and forced to endure unwanted pregnancies, sexual abuse and slavery. Women are also still largely excluded from formal decision-making processes concerning peace and security.

Country

Australia

Extracts

In so much of the Council's work, including in Mali, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria, we have heard repeatedly over the past few weeks about the widespread use of sexual violence in conflict. It is a brutal, unacceptable but pervasive dimension of conflict today. We must constantly think about how we can prevent it from occurring, and, when it does, we must ensure that survivors are supported and perpetrators held relentlessly to account.

Country

Australia

Extracts

The Secretary-General's report is stark. It highlights too much of concern: sexual slavery, forced marriage by armed groups, increasing abuse of boys and men, the plight of children born of rape, the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, and, as we have seen in Syria, the threat and use of sexual violence to forcibly displace entire communities. That must catalyze even stronger action by us.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Ending impunity is critical to driving change. As a deterrent, it is a critical part of a prevention strategy. We must make the best use of the tools at the Council's disposal to target perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, whether individuals, armed groups or States, and whether they commit, command or condone violations. Under many Sanctions Committees, persistent perpetrators fit within existing listing criteria, and we support the more rigorous application of those. We also support the inclusion of such criteria where the situation demands it.

Country

Australia

Extracts

At the national and international levels, criminal justice mechanisms must develop dedicated sexual violence expertise to ensure that crimes are effectively prosecuted, survivors get the support they need, and perpetrators are convicted. In that context, we would like to single out and welcome the United Kingdom's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, its efforts through the Group of Eight and the exemplary focus and resourcing that the United Kingdom itself has brought to the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence.

Country

Australia

Extracts

We also agree with the Secretary-General's recommendation that sexual violence should be included in the definition of acts prohibited under ceasefires agreements, and support the introduction of a systematic procedure to monitor parties' compliance with their commitments.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Security sector reform, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, are essential to rebuilding communities. Measures against sexual violence must be integral to them. Too often, perpetrators of sexual violence are themselves allowed to assume positions of power in post-conflict settings. We must strengthen efforts to ensure appropriate levels of preventive vetting.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Security sector reform, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, are essential to rebuilding communities. Measures against sexual violence must be integral to them. Too often, perpetrators of sexual violence are themselves allowed to assume positions of power in post-conflict settings. We must strengthen efforts to ensure appropriate levels of preventive vetting.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Supporting women's leadership and participation is essential to addressing, responding to, and indeed ending sexual violence. Women are powerful agents of change, and we must harness that capacity by promoting their far greater participation in conflict resolution and post-conflict transitions.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Ms. Keïta Diakité reminded us this morning of the nexus between arms and conflict-related sexual violence. In that connection we welcome the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, including the requirement that States parties consider, in making their export assessments, the risks of arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence. We must now focus on the Treaty's entry into force and its effective implementation.

Country

Australia

Extracts

It is essential that survivors' needs be addressed, including through access to multisectoral services. Often, the vast majority of survivors are children, and services must be very specifically tailored to their needs. We must take specific steps to also address the risks faced by women's human rights defenders operating on the front lines, so as to ensure that they are able to carry out their work and do not themselves become victims of sexual violence.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Action to address sexual violence in conflict cannot occur without adequate and predictable resourcing. Priority should be given to ensuring that key actors, including national institutions, United Nations agencies and civil society groups, have the resources and capacity needed to tackle such issues, ranging from prevention and service provision for survivors to longer-term measures to end impunity. My own Government announced last year an additional $320 million for activities in our own immediate region to focus on those kinds of needs.

Country

Australia

Extracts

In conclusion, sexual violence touches upon the full breadth of the Council's work. While success is very obviously difficult to achieve, it requires of us vigilant and consistent commitment if we are ever to end this devastating, immoral and criminal practice.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

I would like to thank you, Madam President, for presiding over this meeting and for enabling us to discuss important aspects of the issue of preventing conflict twice in three days. These two debates (see S/PV.6946) are inextricably connected, given the fact that the problem of sexual violence is deeply rooted in conflict and not merely an incidental symptom of it. The short period during which these discussions have taken place has served to sow the seeds of the success of your presidency for the month of April. By the same token, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in achieving this lofty and noble goal. I would also like to thank Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as Ms. Saran Keïta Diakité of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, for their exhaustive briefings and complete and concrete efforts in this area.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

We have carefully studied the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149) in the context of today's discussion. In that connection, we would like to express our appreciation for the information it contains, as well as for its conclusions, which should give powerful impetus to and pave the way for efforts aimed at curbing sexual violence against women, children and the elderly in armed conflict. The report describes the achievements of the States concerned in complying with the relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as in taking measures to prevent sexual violence. It also mentions a number of legal and institutional obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the ideal of full protection for women and children in conflict, as well as incorporating and integrating them into the fabric of society.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

The Kingdom of Morocco commends the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, particularly in the area of fostering and preserving the progress that has been made, as well as for affirming the shared responsibility of society for combating sexual violence. By the same token, we commend the United Nations initiative on combating sexual violence so as to help those working in peacekeeping operations, as well as to create partnerships between the United Nations and interested parties for strengthening national competence and skills in order to help curb sexual violence committed by parties to a conflict and to protect and support survivors. Implementing such partnerships, and the provision of adequate resources for their effective use, will contribute to achieving these humanitarian goals. By the same token, we would also like to emphasize the importance of taking into consideration the various views and standpoints, and of consulting with the relevant States concerning the establishment of early detection mechanisms for preventing sexual violence.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to the implementation of reporting and oversight mechanisms — and in accordance with resolution 1960 (2010), as mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General — we hope that such measures will serve as the basis for evidence-based actions. Such measures should be objective and meticulous in monitoring sexual violence in conflict and should be carried out in an atmosphere of complete objectivity and independence. They should also primarily relate to Security Council resolutions, aim at supporting international efforts to protect women and girls in conflict and underscore the importance of preventing such crimes.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to prevention, the report of the Secretary-General states that the establishment of refugee camps near conflict areas and the difficulty of gaining access to them, in addition to the lack of registration records for refugees, impede efforts to safeguard refugees and to alleviate their daily suffering.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to prevention, the report of the Secretary-General states that the establishment of refugee camps near conflict areas and the difficulty of gaining access to them, in addition to the lack of registration records for refugees, impede efforts to safeguard refugees and to alleviate their daily suffering.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Rape and conflict-related sexual violence have deep repercussions for victims, survivors and families. The psychological, social and economic effects increase the marginalization of those groups from society with regard to their access to social and medical services. The signing of peace agreements and ceasefires by parties to a conflict should lead to developing programmes that result in an immediate cessation of sexual violence. Addressing that phenomenon is a main peacebuilding pillar agreed to by the parties.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Committing to combating impunity, implementing cooperation programmes with the judiciary to try perpetrators, and providing reparations to victims of sexual violence constitute the necessary safeguards to ensure that such crimes will not recur. Commitments in that regard must be implemented on the ground; that is a fundamental element in preventing the crimes.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

In many countries, developing codes of conduct for security and police forces is very important to providing comprehensive protection from sexual violence. In that connection, I wish to acknowledge the efforts made by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict while taking into consideration factors related to national expertise and experience, with a view to reforming the judiciary and facilitating access to it for victims.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Achieving the desired objectives in curbing sexual violence requires the involvement of all parties and the efforts of public authorities, national human rights organizations and every component of civil society, including women's associations, so as to mobilize the necessary efforts to put an end to that scourge. To that end, there must be sufficient technical support and financing from donors.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Sexual violence against women and children in conflict is a crime against the dignity, innocence and humanity of those vulnerable groups. We should not remain silent or condone such crimes or diminish their serious consequences.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Furthermore, sexual violence in conflict threatens social stability and hampers national reconciliation and the unity of a society in the post-conflict stage. We have a long way to go, but that should not dissuade the international community from tackling this scourge on all levels and with all the means available.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

The Security Council has achieved significant progress in combating conflict-related sexual violence over the past few years, including by adopting resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010). While those documents reaffirm our strong commitment to ending sexual violence in conflict, this egregious crime remains a daunting challenge for the international community in many new and ongoing armed conflicts.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

In that context, my delegation welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149). It shows that sexual violence continues to occur in conflict and post-conflict situations throughout the world, and that in some cases such acts have become systematic and widespread. The report also reveals worrying emerging trends, such as the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources and the displacement of civilian populations. What is more worrying is that sexual violence is almost universally under-reported. Against that backdrop, my delegation would like to stress following key points.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

First, we would like to underline the significance of the fight against impunity. We can never expect to eradicate sexual violence without ensuring that those responsible are systematically brought to justice. We strongly support the Secretary-General's recommendation in his report that the Council employ all the means at its disposal to address sexual violence in conflict, including referrals to the International Criminal Court and mandating international commissions of inquiry.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Ensuring accountability at the national level is equally important. However, it is regrettable that the lack of adequate national capacity to investigate and prosecute sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability for such crimes. In that regard, my delegation would like to commend the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009). We further encourage the Team to focus its efforts on strengthening institutional safeguards against impunity at the national level.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

My delegation also believes that the adoption of targeted measures by the relevant Sanctions Committees against perpetrators of sexual violence crimes is another crucial means at the Council's disposal. It serves as a strong deterrent to conflict-related sexual violence by raising the stakes for perpetrators. We welcome the fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Committee imposed measures on those responsible for committing sexual violence last year. My delegation would like to encourage other Sanctions Committees to similarly focus on sexual violence crimes.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

The list of parties that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflicts, contained in the Secretary-General's report, could be a good basis for such action by the Council.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Thirdly, we need to pay more attention and care to victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Priority should be given to providing them with sustainable assistance, including medical, psychological, legal and other multisectoral services. Those services should be tailored to the specific needs of survivors. To that end, it is imperative to strengthen the capacities of the relevant national institutions and allocate adequate resources to the relevant programmes.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

In that regard, we support the Secretary-General's recommendation to ensure that reparations awarded through judicial or administrative mechanisms be established and made available to victims of sexual violence in conflict. It is particularly important that post-conflict reconstruction processes strengthen overall systems for reparation, including the provision of adequate and timely resources.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

As a member of the Group of Friends of resolution 1325 (2000), the Republic of Korea has been actively engaged in international efforts to combat conflict- related sexual violence. In that context, my delegation welcomes the timely adoption of the declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict by the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Eight (G-8) last Thursday in London. As the ministers of the G-8 recognized in the declaration, efforts to address sexual violence in armed conflict should be consistent with resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the declaration highlights the importance of wider efforts to promote better implementation of the relevant resolutions.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

To that end, the Korean Government is also working on a draft national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), with the involvement of all the relevant ministries and in close consultation with civil society. The plan is expected to include measures to combat conflict-related sexual violence and to provide assistance to the victims and survivors of sexual violence in conflicts.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Before concluding, my delegation would like to commend the tremendous efforts of Special Representative Bangura and her exemplary dedication to the fight against conflict-related sexual violence. We extend our full support for her mandate. The Republic of Korea will continue to be committed to implementing all resolutions to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence in cooperation with the international community.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

As the Council is aware, I also visited the Central African Republic in December 2012. Like all of us around this table, I am distressed by the subsequent outbreaks of conflict that have shredded the Libreville Peace Agreement, costing lives and resulting in sexual violence, child recruitment and other grave human rights violations. A number of commitments were made by the parties during my visit, which were expressed in two communiqués. We must send a clear message to the Séléka coalition and all the parties to the conflict that they are expected to uphold the commitments made. They must immediately identify and release all forcibly recruited children and women from their ranks. They also have to issue and implement clear orders prohibiting sexual violence and investigate all allegations, so as to hold perpetrators to account.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I also intend to take up invitations by the authorities in Syria, Mali and South Sudan to visit as soon as possible. Conducting country visits will continue to be a key aspect of the mandate. Through such visits, we can bear witness to the plight of survivors and carry their voices to those in power. They are intended to open space locally for dialogue and action on sexual violence. They serve as a means to engage parties to conflict to make tangible protection commitments. They aim to foster international cooperation on the implementation of such mandates. The gravitas of the Council and the mandate established by the Council to address sexual violence in conflict open doors at the highest levels. We will continue to rely on the Security Council to support such an engagement-based approach.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

In Somalia, our collective efforts over the past months have freed Luul Ali Osman and those who have dared to speak out in support of her cause. Last week, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, speaking to military cadets in Mogadishu, declared that security forces who raped citizens of Somalia would be fought and defeated like any enemy of the State. I commend the President and his Government for their resolve to address the problem. We anticipate that a joint communiqué outlining a framework of cooperation to address sexual violence will be adopted in early May, when the international community convenes for the Somalia conference to be held in London.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

The fact that preventing sexual violence will be one of the central issues discussed at that conference is an important commitment in itself. It signals that the issue does not remain on the margins of the discourse on peace consolidation in Somalia. Addressing sexual violence is an essential prerequisite for durable peace and development. I urge international donors to match their strong political commitment with the necessary financial resources, particularly for the provision of services to survivors on the ground. If we are to break that evil in Somalia and elsewhere, the level of financial commitment must meet the level of political commitment.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

The international community and the Council should insist that no party can be a credible partner in the peace process unless those basic conditions are met. I wish to highlight the fact that the ceasefire signed by the Séléka coalition in January did include explicit reference to sexual violence as part of the definition of that ceasefire. As a principle, that reference was exemplary and must be carried forward in the Central African Republic process and elsewhere.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

The Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also committed to establishing a parliamentary working group on sexual violence, and the Senate and the National Assembly will hold a special session on the issue. The communiqué presents an opportunity for renewed action on sexual violence prevention and the response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Together we must hold the President to his commitments. At the same time, we must support him and his Government — technically and financially — so that they can deal decisively with the problem.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I also wish to draw the attention of the Council to the visit to Colombia by my predecessor, Margot Wallström, shortly before she left office. During her visit, the Vice-President, speaking on behalf of the Government, expressed openness to the idea of developing what he referred to as a “framework of cooperation” that outlined key technical areas in which the United Nations and the Government might enhance cooperation to address sexual violence in conflict. The multifaceted response of the Colombian authorities to sexual violence in conflict carries important lessons for our global response. The key challenge in Colombia remains implementation, and it is my intention to follow up on Ms. Wallström's visit and to offer the technical support of the United Nations, including the Team of Experts, which have already conducted a follow-up visit. In the meantime, I urge the Colombian authorities to ensure that sexual violence considerations are explicitly reflected in the ongoing peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I am pleased today to announce a joint communiqué of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations to strengthen cooperation in a number of critical areas, signed by the Prime Minister at the end of my visit. It reflects the firm commitment that was made to me by President Kabila Kabange to more effectively prosecute crimes of sexual violence.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

Let us therefore make the commitment around this table today that, in situations where sexual violence is a concern, there will never again be a peace agreement, ceasefire agreement or ceasefire verification mechanism that does not explicitly address sexual violence. That includes the agreements that must eventually be concluded in Mali and Syria to bring an end to those conflicts.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

We have an opportunity, unlike at any time in history, to break the back of this age-old evil. We must believe that sexual violence in conflict is not inevitable. To eradicate it is not a “mission impossible”, but will require political leadership and political courage, matched by bold protection initiatives on the ground. It is our hope, therefore, that, on the basis of the Secretary-General's report and his recommendations, the Security Council will once again show its resolve and unity of purpose and adopt in June a new resolution on sexual violence in conflict — one focused on accountability and prevention so as to further consolidate and institutionalize the sexual violence response in the context of the United Nations peace and security architecture and Council mandates. May this be a decisive moment — our moment to put an end to the crime that is a blight on our collective humanity.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

Yet, under the cold light of strategy and tactics, the rationale and purpose is clear. What more effective way can there be to destroy a community than to target and devastate its children? Faced with such horror, we are compelled to turn the despair in our hearts into unshakeable resolve that this will not happen to our children — a resolve that matches the ruthlessness of those who would commit such crimes with our own relentless and unwavering pursuit of accountability, and, ultimately, deterrence and prevention.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Azerbaijan welcomes the increasing attention being paid by the Security Council and the wider international community to this topic, which has contributed to developing a solid normative framework and to raising awareness on the impact that sexual violence has on victims, families and societies. The appointment of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the establishment of a system-wide entity on women's equality and empowerment — UN-Women — has added a new dimension to the global efforts.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

It is imperative that all parties to armed conflict strictly abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Azerbaijan reiterates its strong condemnation of all acts of sexual violence in conflict. There can be no tolerance for such acts, and all the necessary measures must be taken to bring perpetrators to justice and put an end to impunity.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

As the Secretary-General noted in his report, national courts remain the principal venue for holding individuals accountable for crimes of sexual violence. At the same time, the lack of adequate national capacity and expertise to investigate and prosecute acts of sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

We note, in that regard, the efforts of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009), aimed at strengthening the capacity of national rule-of-law and justice actors.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

The Secretary-General also noted in his report that “The focus of international criminal justice and mixed tribunals on combating acts of sexual violence, including rape, in the context of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, represents an important complement to national efforts.” (S/2013/149, para. 112). Indeed, where national authorities fail to take action, the international community should play a more proactive role in ensuring an appropriate response.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Unfortunately, not all grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including acts of sexual violence, have received due attention and response at the international and regional levels. Measures that are more resolute and targeted are required to end impunity in such situations. Commitments to protection efforts must be free of selectivity and politically motivated approaches and preferences. In that regard, Azerbaijan notes the role played by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict pursuant to her mandate.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

The establishment of rules with respect to gross violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including sexual violence in conflict, and the provision of adequate and effective reparations are measures that aim, inter alia, to repair or reduce the immediate and long-term harm experienced by victims of such violations. It is therefore important to ensure that reparations are established through judicial or administrative mechanisms and made available to victims.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Furthermore, past wrongs left unpunished or unrecognized often impede progress in achieving long-awaited peace and reconciliation and can even play a key role in the eruption of new conflicts and the commission of new crimes.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

It is also essential to employ all other available means to address sexual violence in conflict, including mandating international commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions and supporting the implementation of their recommendations. We concur with the Secretary-General that those responsible for sexual violence and other human rights violations must be excluded from all branches of Government and that the principle of no amnesty for perpetrators of such offenses must be applied and implemented.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

It is important that the Security Council consistently maintain its focus on protection efforts, including sexual violence in conflict. Azerbaijan will support more systematic and frequent discussion on the topic.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

A national strategy to eliminate violence against women was put in place in 2005. A unit on violence against women and children has also been set up. Special law-enforcement agencies have been established to protect women and children, and women's rights are also protected within the army.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

Genital mutilation was eliminated in 2008, and the criminal justice system has introduced provisions relating to war crimes so as to protect women from all forms of violence in Darfur; that was done in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund and the human rights office in the Sudan. We have also strengthened the World Health Organization protocol on the protection of victims of rape, making it possible to file a complaint and receive reparations. In 2010, a law criminalizing child abuse was enacted.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

In that context, I would like to underscore that the Sudan's framework cooperation agreement with South Sudan will have a positive impact in promoting cooperation and assisting women in both countries, in addition to eliminating sexual violence in conflict. We should note that our disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes have, in coordination with specialized agencies of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme and UN-Women, given top priority to women. The aim is to implement a work plan pursuant to resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Madame President, we welcome the Secretary General's report on sexual violence in conflict. Tragically, the report and today's briefings remind us that this issue is a global problem. It is also complex and multifaceted, from sexual violence used as a tool for coercive population displacement to forced marriages by armed groups to the challenges of widespread unreporting of abuse and the plight of children born out of rape.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Thank you, Madam President, for organizing this event and for your presence today. Let me also thank you for the expressions of sympathy to the American people. I'd also like to thank Secretary-General Ban, Special Representative Bangura for their briefings, and Madame Keita for helping us better understand how women in Mali are combating sexual violence. Women's civil society organizations are making critical contributions in this area and need our support.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Today, I would like to draw attention to the need for greater emphasis on prevention, including at the communal level and within the UN system for engaging parties to conflict to address sexual violence and for integrating sexual violence prevention and response efforts into security and justice sector reform.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

At the community level, improving prevention of sexual violence requires better understanding of existing protection mechanisms and leveraging grassroots networks that can provide local information to inform prevention efforts. There is progress in this area, for example, the Community Policing Centers run by displaced persons in camps in Darfur and the enlistment of imams as advocates for sexual violence prevention in South Darfur.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

For UN missions, better prevention involves equipping peacekeepers and civilian staff with the guidance and expertise to respond to early information about threats of large-scale abuses. The training modules designed by the United Nations are a positive step in that direction, as is the creation of the UN International Network of Female Police Peacekeepers, which links over a thousand UN female police officers around the world to share best practices as well as advocate and mentor female police.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Bringing deeper gender expertise to UN field missions is essential for enhanced prevention of sexual violence. UN leadership in New York and in the field should commit to greater presence of gender experts and women protection advisors in UN missions. Furthermore, the deployment of such experts should be routine in UN technical assessment missions. We note the particular need for this expertise in Libya to address the root causes of sexual violence perpetrated during the conflict and the resulting trauma.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Encouraging parties to conflict to discuss sexual violence within their ranks, though challenging, is another critical avenue of prevention. The agreements that Special Representative Bangura brokered in the Central African Republic are models of this engagement. Changing behavior of armed parties requires political will as well as better monitoring and reporting and, where appropriate, the credible threat of consequences, such as "naming and shaming" and sanctions. Furthermore, mediators and envoys should routinely address conflict-related sexual violence in their ceasefire and peace negotiations.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

But the spectrum of action for countering sexual violence must not be limited to the conflict and its conclusion. It must be prioritized throughout peace processes, including in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration phase and in security sector reform. Rigorous vetting should ensure that perpetrators and those who have directed sexual violence are denied entry to the security sector. There should be strong protection mechanisms for civilians in close proximity of cantonment sites. The best way to ensure these protections is for women themselves to participate meaningfully in SSR and DDR program design and implementation and to have more women working and leading in the security sector. It is clear that female survivors of sexual violence are more likely to report to a female police officer or a women's police station, as our experience in Haiti has borne out. And women's civil society organizations need greater capacity to monitor, inform, and provide security services in conjunction with law enforcement authorities.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

We must also build reformed national justice sectors and local institutions that can hold accountable those responsible for sexual violence while international criminal justice mechanisms continue to play their important role in ending impunity for these crimes. In last week's Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, the G8 reaffirmed that rape and other forms of serious sexual violence in armed conflict are war crimes and emphasized the need to promote justice and accountability for such crimes.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

These issues are hardly theoretical. The scourge of sexual violence persists. We are alarmed by horrific abuses occurring in Syria, including against men and boys, and we reaffirm that those responsible for violations of international law and human rights will be held accountable. The United States continues to support the documenting of evidence of atrocities committed by all sides for use in future Syrian-led transitional justice and accountability processes. Beyond Syria, the United States has proven its commitment to prevent and address gender-based violence around the world, providing more than $100 million in 2012 to these efforts.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

In closing, I want to commend the excellent work Special Representative Bangura and her staff are doing, and urge the entire UN system to give due attention to prevention efforts and facilitate the deployment of necessary expertise to conflict areas. The United States looks forward to continuing collaboration with all those who seek to end the scourge of sexual violence in conflict, including through a new Council resolution to address outstanding challenges on these issues.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Today we focus our attention on one of the most appalling aspects of the women and peace and security agenda: the problem of sexual violence in conflict. The challenge when discussing this scourge is to translate our sorrow and outrage into practical action capable of bringing about real change. Only an integrated approach that combines a sharper focus on prevention, the fight against impunity and better support to victims can help us fight sexual violence in conflict in an effective and decisive manner.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Peacekeeping operations are another important pillar contributing to the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence. Local populations and international public opinion have high expectations concerning the role of United Nations peacekeepers in preventing sexual violence. In that regard, adequate training remains key, not only to ensure that peacekeepers acquire a proper understanding of how to address cases of sexual violence, but also to enable them to apply concrete prevention strategies.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Prevention also involves tackling the disturbing relationship between the widespread availability of illicit small arms and light weapons and conflict- related sexual violence. We acknowledge the progress achieved by the adoption of the landmark Arms Trade Treaty, which establishes that conventional arms should not be exported when they might be used to commit or facilitate gender-based violence. We regret, however, that it was not possible to include in the Treaty a clear prohibition of transfers to unauthorized non-State actors, as such a provision would greatly contribute to the objective of preventing the commission of sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

That preventive role requires resources compatible with the magnitude of the tasks involved. Brazil has taken some meaningful steps. We have signed a letter of intent with UN-Women to deepen our cooperation regarding the training of peacekeepers on gender issues and the promotion of South-South cooperation on gender issues involving peacekeeping training centres in Latin America and Africa. Furthermore, Brazil has been involved in cooperation activities with a number of countries emerging from conflict in areas related to sexual violence. The Brazilian Cooperation Agency has, for instance, been working with the United Nations Population Fund in Haiti and Guinea-Bissau to build institutional capacity to deal with victims of gender- based violence in areas such as health, justice and security.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

As an important element in efforts to achieve justice, the fight against impunity is essential as a means to put an end to sexual violence in conflict. It acts as a deterrent for perpetrators and contributes to righting the wrongs done to victims. Brazil appreciates the work that Ms. Bangura's Office carries out in support of the strengthening of national capacities aimed at bringing perpetrators to justice. The Security Council can assist in fighting impunity by addressing such violence in its subsidiary bodies as appropriate. More discussion is needed, however, on the idea of adopting targeted and gradual measures in contexts where no sanctions regimes are in place, as that could amount to applying restrictive measures in situations that have not been determined by the Security Council to constitute threats to international peace and security.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Dealing with sexual violence requires that we act on many fronts simultaneously. Over the past few years, the international community has made important normative progress, which has allowed us to reframe the issue of sexual violence in different terms. We must now work more effectively to implement those norms. Brazil is committed to this cause and is ready to work in line with Security Council provisions with the goal of effectively addressing sexual violence in conflict situations in all its aspects.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We recognize the importance of mediators and envoys in mediation, ceasefire, peace and preventive diplomacy processes engaging with the parties to a conflict in dialogue on sexual violence, and for such violence to be addressed in peace agreements. We agree with the recommendation of the Secretary- General that sexual violence should be included among prohibited acts and reflected as specific provisions in peace agreements related to security arrangements and transitional justice. It should be recalled, in that regard, that the Organization has developed guidelines for mediators on how to address sexual violence in armed conflicts. Those should be included in the training and orientation of teams that negotiate ceasefires and peace agreements.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We have participated in several informative events conducted by agencies of the system and non-governmental organizations that work in areas of armed conflict. The stories they tell are frightening and reinforce the urgent need for victims and survivors of sexual violence to have access to medical services and HIV-related treatment and care. It is also necessary to address the difficult situations faced by survivors who have children and by the children born as a result of rape, who then become victims of stigma and social exclusion.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

It is also worth mentioning the critical role of women's civil society organizations in supporting the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding. That was precisely the approach taken in the presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/23) adopted under our presidency of the Security Council in October 2012. In that statement, as part of the fight against impunity for perpetrators of sexual and gender- based crimes, the Council categorically condemned all violations of international law committed against women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

Guatemala has supported without reservation the work that the Security Council has been carrying out for several years now aimed at strengthening collective action to combat sexual violence in armed conflict, in particular through the adoption of resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010). Now, as elected members of the Council, we find that our commitment has been further deepened.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

In that regard, we are encouraged by the important change in how sexual violence is being dealt with by the International Criminal Court, in particular with respect to the charges against Bosco Ntaganda of crimes against humanity, rape, sexual slavery and war crimes. The same could be said about the prosecution of Jean-Pierre Bemba. Both cases set a precedent concerning the principle of officers' responsibility for sexual violence as a war crime and crime against humanity. That constitutes an important complement to the work of national courts and mixed tribunals in the fight against deeply rooted discriminatory practices that are embedded in a culture of impunity.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

In addition, it helps us to combat the perception that it is useless to denounce the crimes of sexual violence and contributes to the strengthening of the administration of justice, whether civil or military, by holding perpetrators accountable before the law. Moreover, it also helps to realize specific commitments on prohibiting sexual violence committed by senior- ranking officials of armed forces and armed groups, and promotes the adoption of codes of conduct that prohibit sexual violence.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We believe that another step in the right direction is the judgment in the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. Although he was not charged with crimes of sexual slavery and rape, the judgment against him includes specific guidance on the reparations to be made to the victims of sexual violence, thus making possible specific reparation for the immediate and long-term harm experienced by the victims. That act of international justice affords hope, dignity and compensation to the victims and enforces accountability for the perpetrators.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

What I have referred to leads us to conclude that the annex to the report of the Secretary-General, which lists the parties and individuals credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence during conflict and post-conflict situations, is useful, and that we must increase the pressure on those responsible for those acts and, when appropriate, submit their names to the relevant committees.

Country

Italy

Extracts

The Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149) gives us a comprehensive picture of a daunting challenge for the international community. In far too many conflict-related situations, women, men and children are not protected from such international crimes. We are particularly concerned about the serious human rights violations in northern Mali, including rape; the heightened risk of rape for refugees and internally displaced persons; the perpetration of rape and sexual violence in detention centres in Syria; and the alarming number of incidents of sexual violence in Somalia. We also note with concern emerging trends such as the perpetration of sexual violence against men and boys, the plight of children born as a result of a rape, and the practice of forced marriages by armed groups.

Country

Italy

Extracts

At the same time, we need a powerful response. Again, the Security Council needs to step up pressure on perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflicts through the adoption of targeted measures by the relevant Sanctions Committees. When there is no ad hoc committee, the Council should close any protection or impunity gaps. The Council should incorporate measures on sexual violence in all the relevant country resolutions and in the authorization and renewal of the mandates of peacekeeping and special political missions.

Country

Italy

Extracts

The commitments of the parties to a conflict should be monitored and followed up, and a zero-tolerance policy should be taken towards sexual misconduct by peacekeeping, political and peacebuilding personnel.

Country

Italy

Extracts

International justice has placed a welcome emphasis on combating sexual violence as a complement to national efforts, in particular under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Comprehensive justice strategies are essential, including accountability and reparation, following a victim-centered approach. The Security Council should also contribute to ensuring that there no safe havens for the perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflict.

Country

Italy

Extracts

In March, the Commission on the Status of Women approved agreed conclusions with a strong condemnation of all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence. The Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly just this month, obliges States parties to take into account the risk of conventional arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender- based violence. The Group of Eight made a strong commitment to addressing impunity and preventing sexual violence in conflict. Italy has always supported all such commitments, which must now be followed by concrete actions.

Country

Italy

Extracts

As a supporter of the landmark resolution 1820 (2009), Italy is convinced of the evident connection between ending sexual violence and promoting peace and security. That is why the Italian national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) includes specific provisions to address sexual violence in conflict. The 2013 Italian development cooperation strategy includes capacity-building activities and the provision of assistance to survivors in Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, the Sudan and Syria. The Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units, the Vicenza-based training centre, created by the Italian Government in 2005, systematically includes the prevention of sexual violence in their courses for peacekeepers.

Country

Italy

Extracts

Let me conclude by urging everyone not to forget that the primary responsibility for addressing sexual violence still lies with States, as the Secretary-General indicated in his call for national ownership and leadership. As responsible Governments, we owe that to the survivors of sexual violence and to the families of victims. Italy stands ready to assist and support such efforts.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

Our group remains greatly concerned about certain facts provided in the Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149) that indicate systematic and widespread sexual violence used to punish, intimidate and subjugate women, men and children. In addition, the report highlights the increased use of sexual violence as a means of displacing populations, which represents a worrying trend.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

The report also refers to two highly problematic trends that were noticed by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, namely, the occurrence of sexual violence during house searches and at checkpoints and the perpetration of rape and torture in the context of detention. We call on all parties to cease such violations and any other sexual-violence-related violations and, in accordance with resolution 1960 (2010), to make specific and time-bound protection commitments in that regard. We also call upon the members of the Security Council to consider using all the other means at its disposal to address sexual violence in conflict, including making referrals to the International Criminal Court and other relevant actions.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

All the necessary steps, including targeted measures, must be taken to protect individuals, hold perpetrators accountable and provide remedy for victims. It is essential that amnesty provisions not be applicable to crimes of sexual violence in the context of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. Ending impunity for perpetrators and those responsible in chains of command is also imperative, including personnel within the United Nations. At the same time, the Network believes that we have to place equal importance on addressing the root causes and the enablers of sexual violence in conflict, as well as on strengthening grass-roots women's organizations and additional networks that can provide assistance to victims of sexual violence in conflict. Only when those victims are treated with dignity and respect and given the necessary tools, treatment and care to enable them to protect themselves can they become real agents of change.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

In that regard, the Network believes that applying a more people- or victim-centred lens to the issue would help. Moreover, we support the availability of reparations as a form of transitional gender justice. Reparations can deliver redress and acknowledgement of crimes suffered, and can contribute to the fight against impunity and to post-conflict reconstruction and the reintegration of survivors of sexual violence.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

The Human Security Network notes the report's recommendation regarding the adoption of sanctions and other targeted measures against individuals and entities by the relevant Sanctions Committees. In that regard, the exchange of information among United Nations peacekeeping missions, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Security Council's Sanctions Committees will be of great importance.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

Let me briefly touch upon the already mentioned United Nations zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse for United Nations personnel. The Network takes note of the failure to include such a policy in the relevant resolutions, and therefore calls upon all the relevant actors to make more use of references to the zero-tolerance policy.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

In conclusion, even though it is not at the forefront of our discussion today, I should like to reiterate our group's commitment to promoting and enhancing the role of women in peace processes. While it is crucial to today's agenda that we maintain momentum in the fight against sexual violence, we would again like to underline the importance of women's empowerment as part of the solution. We need to see, and enable, women more and more as agents of change. Women's participation at decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes cannot be overemphasized. Women's participation in establishing effective prevention and protection strategies can contribute to combating sexual violence in conflict and promoting gender equality. We also remain strong supporters of women protection advisers, who can positively contribute to facilitating and coordinating the implementation of Security Council resolutions on sexual violence in conflict within United Nations peacekeeping and political missions.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

We also avail ourselves of this opportunity to highlight the importance of the recent adoption of the agreed conclusions on the prevention of sexual violence at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which, among other goals, seek to ensure that in armed conflict and post-conflict situations the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, are effectively addressed. We must all strive towards enabling more protection for women and girls in conflict situations and encourage the empowerment of women and their systematic inclusion and meaningful participation at all levels.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

The international community has made considerable strides since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000). Through it and subsequent resolutions adopted by this body, the international community has committed itself to ending the pain and distress affecting women and girls who are subjected to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

It is a matter of concern that, despite our determined efforts, women and girls continue to suffer from the abhorrent crimes perpetrated by armed groups and by national authorities whose duty is to shield civilians from harm.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

Instead of diminishing, conflict-related sexual violence is on the rise, and it increasingly involves men and boys as perpetrators employ sexual violence as a tactic of war and as a punishment and interrogation technique.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

Impunity of that nature is a great challenge to our collective resolve. It is in clear contempt of the values we have committed to uphold. We must do more at national, regional and international levels to end impunity, by demonstrating to perpetrators that such crimes will not go unpunished.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

Perpetrators of sexual-based violence must be prosecuted and tried by competent national courts or tribunals. Where that is not feasible — as is often the case in conflict and most post-conflict situations — the States concerned should be willing to surrender suspects to international criminal courts and tribunals to face trial.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

The international criminal justice system, despite its shortcomings, has had its merits, including offering an elaboration of sexual violence as capable of constituting a crime against humanity, a war crime and an act of genocide. The indictment of leaders of armed groups by the International Criminal Court (ICC) — such as those of Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda, Sylvestre Mudacumura and others — is a step towards ending impunity, however moderate it is.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

While prosecution is critical in ending impunity, we must also continue to address its root causes. We must resolve conflicts by reconciling warring parties and encouraging dialogue, rather than by employing military solutions. If necessary, negative forces must be neutralized, demobilized and reintegrated into society.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

We must find effective ways to respond to the needs of the survivors of sexual violence. The United Nations Action multi-partner trust fund is pivotal in that regard. We encourage Member States and other partners to contribute to the fund.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

Let me conclude by underscoring the unswerving commitment of the United Republic of Tanzania to ending violence against women, men and children wherever and by whosoever committed. We renew our commitment to the regional and international instruments to which we are parties in order to achieve that noble objective. We will continue to support the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Country

Chile

Extracts

We believe it is equally important to continue to promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in our region through the exchange of experiences and international cooperation, both at the bilateral level and in the regional mechanisms for peacekeeping operations of which Chile is a part. That is the case with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, for which Chile has provided female military contingents and in which it has followed the United Nations zero-tolerance policy for the sexual abuse and misconduct cases in which certain members of the Mission have been involved. We believe that the zero-tolerance policy should be a general standard that is strictly and zealously enforced in all peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.

Country

Chile

Extracts

One of the founding principles of Chile's foreign policy is the promotion of fundamental and universal human rights. In that respect, we will continue to support the efforts aimed at preventing violence against women in conflict and promoting mediation in conflict situations. We will continue to advocate for women's inclusion and participation in efforts at peacekeeping, peacebuilding and mediation.

Country

Chile

Extracts

We agree with the Secretary-General when he states in his report that national tribunals continue to bear the primary responsibilty for the fight against impunity for cases of sexual violence and are an important complement to the efforts of the International Criminal Court, fundamentally in terms of restoring victims' dignity and holding perpetrators legally accountable.

Country

Chile

Extracts

A key element in making progress on these issues has been the guidelines established in the Security Council resolutions that followed historic resolution 1325 (2000), which reinforce its principles and the undeniable progress that has been made on the issue of gender-based violence within the United Nations system. In that respect, it is worth highlighting the conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-seventh session. We promoted the inclusion, in those conclusions, of the relationship between the trafficking and illicit use of small arms and light weapons and the resurgence of violence against women and children, as we did in the text of the Arms Trade Treaty, which also deals with this issue.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Security threats against women are often dismissed as belonging to the private sphere or are written off as cultural issues. But let us be clear, conflict-related sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, and, in the most extreme cases, an act of genocide. We must respond with the same sense of urgency as we do to other threats against peace and security. We must recognize the need for the participation of both women and men in preventing and solving conflict and, not least, in building sustainable peace.

Country

Norway

Extracts

The report before us (S/2013/149) is a catalogue of violence, rape, atrocities and torture. The Nordic countries welcome the comprehensive approach it takes, covering both protracted crises and emerging concerns. Its attention to sexual violence against men and boys, the practice of forced marriage and the plight of children born as a result of wartime rape is valid and timely. The Nordic countries commend the work of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, and particularly welcome her efforts to foster national leadership, build capacity and hold Governments accountable. During conflict it is national Governments that have the main responsibility to protect civilians, whether from more conventional methods of warfare or from conflict- related sexual violence. All too often they fail to do so.

Country

Norway

Extracts

One glaring example is Syria, where the Government continues to demonstrate its utter failure to protect its own citizens. The use of sexual violence and rape by warring parties in Syria has been reported by the independent international commission of inquiry, as well as by numerous human rights organizations. As thousands of civilians flee from war-torn Syria every day, the world is watching in horror as history repeats itself.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Thirdly, we call on the Security Council to continue to combat impunity for crimes of sexual violence and to use its unique power to increase the pressure through targeted sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence.

Country

Norway

Extracts

The Nordic countries warmly welcome the Secretary-General's call for emergency contraception and safe abortion to be included in the responses and services to survivors. The agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women also call for the provision of such life-saving services. Girls and women who have been raped during war should not be forced to continue unwanted pregnancies. For some victims of rape, undergoing a dangerous abortion is the only alternative to a life of shame, isolation and hardship, or even honour killings.

Country

Norway

Extracts

The rehabilitation of victims will not be possible unless they have access to comprehensive services. That includes access to health, justice and reparations. As long as survivors have little or nothing to gain from reporting sexual violence and coming forward, under- reporting will continue and impunity will prevail. Sexual violence, including threats of sexual violence, can have far-reaching effects, not only for those affected and their families but also for the wider communities and future prospects for peace and reconciliation.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

The Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149) underscores the reality that sexual violence in armed conflict and post-conflict settings remains systemic and widespread, where women and girls continue to bear the greater burden of the consequences of conflict. It is with that in mind that my delegation reaffirms our commitment to the full and effective implementation of resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) as the building blocks for advancing the women, peace and security agenda.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

My delegation notes with concern the emerging challenges highlighted in the report of the Secretary- General. They include, among others, increasing incidents of sexual violence committed against men and boys, particularly in the context of detention, the practice of forced marriage by armed groups, and the linkages between sexual violence and illicit natural resource extraction.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

My delegation is pleased at the progress made on the monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements and on their potential to serve as an early-warning and conflict-prevention tool. A continuous review of the impact that women protection advisers make in the field would be instructive for closing the protection gaps in the context of sexual violence in conflict. It is also our view that women protection advisers could add value to peacekeeping mission assessment visits.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

My delegation supports the recommendation by the Secretary-General that sexual violence in conflict be reflected in all the relevant country resolutions, as well as in authorizations and renewals of the mandates of peacekeeping and special political missions. Equally, we will continue to advocate for the inclusion of sexual violence in the definition of acts prohibited by ceasefires and that it be monitored as part of ceasefire monitoring mechanisms. In that regard, we also highlight the important contribution that women can and must make in all processes of conflict resolution and in post-conflict settings.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

We also reaffirm our commitment to support efforts by the Secretary-General towards the implementation of the policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

Justice for the victims of serious violations of international human rights law is an essential requirement for the sustainable peace, security and development of States emerging from armed conflict, where the rule of law must enjoy primacy and be scrupulously upheld. Therefore, my delegation supports efforts by the Council to continue fighting impunity for the most serious crimes committed against women and children through the work of the International Criminal Court, ad hoc and mixed tribunals and specialized chambers in national tribunals.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

We recognize the importance of women's access to justice in conflict and post-conflict settings, including through gender-responsive legal, judicial and security sector reform and other mechanisms. In that regard, my delegation appreciates the commendable work undertaken by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. However, we believe that significantly more needs to be done by all the relevant actors in supporting countries to increase women's participation, leadership and expertise in transitional justice, as well as in advancing accountability measures for serious offences committed against women and children.

Country

Spain

Extracts

It is an issue of great concern that affects sensitive areas, such as the protection of civilians in all kinds of armed conflict, the displacement of populations and peacebuilding processes, without forgetting its undeniable connection with other scourges, such as trafficking in persons.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Spain welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) and supports its recommendations. Similarly, Spain commends the commitment of the new Special Representative, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, to the priorities developed by her predecessor, Ms. Wahlström. Spain also shares the new goal set by Ms. Bangura of promoting national ownership in the fight against sexual violence in conflict, which is key to obtaining lasting results. Ms. Bangura can count on my country's full support for her work.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Combating sexual violence in conflict requires the adoption of measures for the prevention, protection and prosecution of the perpetrators. In all those areas, the victims' cooperation is essential. However, as the Secretary-General's report points out, the lack of adequate information and fear of reporting for cultural and social reasons, which tend to increase in times of conflict, are serious obstacles to such collaboration. We must therefore, to the greatest extent possible, reinforce mechanisms designed to help victims, raise awareness about their surroundings and strengthen the capacity of national courts.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Spain also shares the conclusions of the report regarding the role of the International Criminal Court. While the primary responsibility for the trial of suspects for acts of sexual violence lies with national courts, the Court plays a crucial complementary role at the international level.

Country

Spain

Extracts

In the open debate on women, peace and security held last fall at the Security Council (see S/PV.6877), we referred to the numerous initiatives that Spain had been leading in its foreign policy, development cooperation and defence policy with a view to achieving two goals — first, to promote the role of women in peacebuilding in conflict and post-conflict situations, and, secondly, to eliminate sexual violence in conflicts, including the outrageous practice of using systematic rape as a war tactic.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Focusing now on the second goal, Spain believes that it is a priority to implement specific programmes to eradicate all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls, while giving special attention to extreme situations such as trafficking, sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation. I would also like to highlight our unconditional support for the work of UN-Women in its campaign against sexual violence in armed conflict.

Country

Spain

Extracts

In the area of training, I would emphasize the specific seminar on the gender perspective in peace operations that is being jointly organized by the Ministries for Foreign Affairs and Defence of Spain and the Netherlands. The fifth edition of the seminar will be held soon and will have a specific module on sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Spain

Extracts

I would conclude by referring to a particularly vulnerable group in the area of sexual violence, namely, people with disabilities, who are even more vulnerable in a context of conflict. On 23 September, a high-level meeting will be held on achieving the Millennium Development Goals for persons with disabilities. Spain, together with the Philippines, has the honour of having been appointed to co-facilitate the outcome document of that meeting. It will undoubtedly be the best opportunity to discuss a new development agenda that takes into account the imperative of combating discrimination against persons with disabilities.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

The United Kingdom is deeply committed to addressing sexual violence in conflict, which is one of the most persistent and neglected injustices in the world today. Last week, the Group of Eight (G-8) Foreign Ministers, under the presidency of the United Kingdom, agreed a historic declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict. They pledged to work together and with others in a concerted and comprehensive campaign to address that crime. The G-8 declared for the first time that rape and serious sexual violence in conflict were grave breaches of the Geneva Convention, as well as being war crimes. That decision recognizes our responsibility to actively search for, prosecute or hand over for trial anyone accused of those crimes, regardless of nationality, wherever they are in the world.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

Today's debate is an opportunity to reinforce that message and to send a strong, shared message that there is no safe haven for perpetrators of rape and sexual violence. The statements we have heard thus far in this debate are very encouraging on that point.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

The United Kingdom welcomes the Secretary- General's timely report (S/2013/149). A key objective of the United Kingdom's Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative is to strengthen United Nations and other international efforts to eradicate that scourge.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

We wholeheartedly support the work and mandate of Ms. Bangura, especially her efforts to build coherence and coordination in the United Nations response and her focus on national ownership and responsibility. The report provides an important opportunity to assess progress and to consider what more needs to be done. It is clear that there is a huge amount still to be done.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

First, the United Kingdom would like to commend the Secretary-General for recommending that all country resolutions and mandate renewals for United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions systematically address sexual violence and include the specific language of resolution 1960 (2010). We agree that peacekeeping mandates should include language on the cessation of sexual violence, on dialogue with parties to conflict to seek protection commitments and on the deployment of women protection advisors, and that we should ensure, in particular, that they are funded from peacekeeping mission budgets. We must be rigorous and consistent in our approach on this issue.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

Secondly, we recognize that a focus on the difficult issues surrounding security sector and justice reform is critical: providing training for national security forces; ensuring the principles of no amnesty for perpetrators of grave human rights violations, including sexual violence; and ensuring that the security sector is accessible and responsive to all. In the justice sector, work to train the police, magistrates and judges and more training for female lawyers will result in more effective investigations and prosecutions. That is also very welcome.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

Thirdly, we welcome calls to ensure that the Security Council, mediators, envoys and Member States actively engage in dialogue with parties to conflict on conflict- related sexual violence. That is central to ensuring that the issue of sexual violence as a method or tactic of conflict is explicitly recognized in subsequent peace processes and ceasefire agreements. As my Foreign Secretary said on 11 April, we need such commitments to end the treatment of rape and sexual violence as a secondary issue and to put women and women's rights front and centre in conflict resolution.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

Finally, as the representatives of China and Luxembourg, among others, have highlighted, let us not forget that women's full and equal participation is fundamental to combating sexual violence. Women must not be seen merely as passive victims, but as active participants who are central to all efforts to combat that horrific phenomenon.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Sexual violence in armed conflict is not a new phenomenon and has occurred in several corners of the world. Sexual violence in armed conflict has harmful and lasting economic, social, cultural and health consequences for victims, families and communities, even after the conflict stage has ended. We are deeply concerned about the dire plight of women and girls in situations of armed conflict. We condemn all violence against women in armed conflicts, including sexual violence. We recognize the urgent need to address their plight.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

ASEAN member States wish to reiterate their strong commitment to working closely with the international community and the United Nations in ending sexual violence, wherever it occurs. Our States have been supportive of efforts to eliminate and prevent all acts of violence against women. ASEAN attaches great importance to the implementation of landmark resolution 1325 (2000) and the subsequent resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010). ASEAN supports the continued efforts of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the relevant United Nations bodies to advance the women, peace and security agenda in accordance with their respective mandates.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

At the national and regional levels, ASEAN member States have been establishing legal and policy frameworks and implementing mechanisms to further enhance the status and welfare of women and girls and to eliminate all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence. Those efforts have been strengthened by the adoption of various declarations, including the Declaration on the Advancement of Women in ASEAN, in 1988; the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region, in 2004; and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, in 2012.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

First, the fundamental causes of sexual violence in armed conflict should be tackled at their root. A preventive mechanism that addresses the root causes of armed conflict should be implemented. ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which aims to promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation among its people, is a regional framework that we have put in place to that end. Such root causes should be addressed, inter alia, by promoting the rule of law, good governance, democracy, poverty eradication, sustainable development and respect for and the protection of human rights, as well as by providing multisectoral assistance and services for the specific needs of women and girls.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Secondly, preventing and eradicating sexual violence against women are closely linked to women's empowerment and to gender equality. ASEAN views women as agents of change, who should participate, in a full and equal part, in peace, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict processes. In that regard, the continued efforts of the international community to address sexual violence in armed conflict must be supported.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Most recently, the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women adopted the agreed conclusions on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. That document was widely hailed by Governments, United Nations officials and civil society as a huge step forward and a historic global agreement in the ongoing efforts to protect women and girls from violence.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Thirdly, ASEAN member countries are of the view that States must bear responsibility and do their utmost to prevent and address sexual violence in armed conflict. The United Nations and the international community can play a supporting role by providing assistance, by sharing best practices and by helping States to exercise that responsibility.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Let me conclude by stressing ASEAN's readiness and commitment to join efforts with the international community to ensure the elimination of sexual violence in armed conflict and to implement effective measures of accountability and redress in the field of women and peace and security.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

My country has always been a strong advocate of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, and will, of course, remain so. In his report, the Secretary-General clearly highlights how sexual violence persists in many societies as a common practice that is often invisible and too rarely prosecuted.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

First, my delegation stresses the need to ensure that the countries concerned themselves take ownership of and lead the fight against sexual violence. National courts must, in our view, remain the main place where people are charged with sexual-violence crimes. We should of course support those courts in pursuing the fight against impunity. Concerning crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, international criminal justice mechanisms are an important complement to national efforts. In that context, we believe it is appropriate to apply the definition of sexual violence in the broadest sense laid out in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Secondly, my delegation is convinced that we must focus on prevention in the fight against all forms of sexual violence. That is one of the key conclusions of the most recent session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the main theme of which was the struggle against all forms of violence against women and girls.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Fourthly, the situations in the countries mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General are particularly worrying. I would highlight the seriousness of the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and the Syrian Arab Republic, among others. In the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence against women is used systematically as a weapon of war. Belgium attaches absolute priority to the fight against violence against women, both by supporting those who are doing their utmost to help victims and survivors, but also by ramping up diplomatic efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

We welcome the information provided this morning by Ms. Bangura on the agreement reached with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to strengthen efforts to combat sexual violence in conflict in that country, and our hope is that the agreement will be speedily implemented.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Fifthly, my delegation particularly supports certain recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General. On the one hand, it is necessary to increase pressure on the perpetrators of sexual violence related to conflict by adopting targeted measures against them via the various Sanctions Committees. On the other hand, we must make every effort to ensure that victims and survivors have access to all of the necessary multisectoral services and that compensation systems are set up and all means sought to effectively fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Lastly, we are strongly in favour of the mainstreaming of the fight against sexual violence in the various areas of action of the United Nations. By way of example, we welcome the fact that the text of the Arms Trade Treaty that was recently adopted includes clear references to the need to take into account the risks of violence against women and girls.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Conflict and post-conflict situations are often marked by violence and the deprivation of rights. In armed conflicts, sexual violence represents one of the most serious forms of violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The lack of progress on the issue of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict, in particular against women and girls, remains of great concern for us. We condemn all forms of crimes against women and girls, and we emphasize the importance of bringing those responsible for such crimes to justice. All parties to armed conflict need to take appropriate measures to protect civilians, especially women and children, from all forms of sexual violence. It is essential to ensure that all reports of sexual violence committed by civilians or by military personnel be thoroughly investigated and the alleged perpetrators brought to justice.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Bosnia and Herzegovina attaches the utmost importance to confronting the grave issue of sexual violence and is particularly encouraged by the commitment of the Security Council to keep the matter on its agenda. That commitment was unequivocally demonstrated by the adoption of resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1894 (2009), which paved the way for concrete action aimed at preventing sexual violence. We fully support the work of the United Nations in addressing sexual violence in armed conflict, particularly that of UN-Women, and the mandates of the Secretary-General's Special Representatives on Children in Armed Conflict and on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

With the aim of improving the overall situation of women victims of rape, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina is finalizing the drafting of the document entitled “Programme for the victims of rape, sexual abuse and torture in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013-2016”, which will seek to improve the position of all the victims. One of the goals of the programme emphasizes the obligation of the State to provide access to reparations programmes for victims of war and the need to provide legal and psychological support to victims and witnesses during and after court proceedings. The draft strategy on transitional justice has been prepared, and we are currently in the process of obtaining the opinions of all levels of Government in that respect.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Finally, we would like to point out that the international community has taken noteworthy steps, including the adoption of the relevant resolutions, to tackle the issue of sexual violence. But more importantly, the time has come to start converting commitments and promises into real actions on the ground to prevent violence, protect individuals, punish perpetrators and provide redress to victims. Bosnia and Herzegovina stands ready to contribute to those efforts.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Sexual violence in armed conflict represents one of the most serious forms of the violation or abuse of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The prevention of sexual violence in armed conflict is therefore both a matter of upholding universal human rights and of maintaining international peace and security, in keeping with the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

In that regard, Botswana welcomes the continued focus by the Council on this thematic area and wishes to emphasize the need for increased and more systemic attention to the agenda women and peace and security in the Council's work. We believe that efforts to address sexual violence in armed conflict should be consistent with and complementary to wider efforts to promote the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and other relevant resolutions on women and peace and security. To that end, my delegation also welcomes the work of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict in building coherence and coordination in the United Nations response to sexual violence in armed conflict. In that regard, Botswana supports the Special Representative's focus on national ownership and responsibility, by engaging with Governments and armed groups to establish their commitment to accountability for sexual violence, so as to create procedures that will allow such commitments to be systematically monitored. I would also like to emphasize that greater coordination and collaboration with other relevant stakeholders is important to improving global efforts to address sexual violence.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

The current report highlights several emerging concerns, including sexual violence against men and boys, particularly in the context of detention, as well as the plight of children born out of rape, sexual slavery and forced marriages by armed groups, as has been documented in countries such as Mali, the Central African Republic, Somalia and others. We also take note of the parties named in the report, which includes the following significant additions: the Syrian Government forces and their allied militia, the Shabbiha; the Séléka rebels in the Central African Republic; and several armed groups in Mali. Additions to the existing listings for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, such as the Police nationale congolaise, the Mouvement du 23 Mars and several more Mai-Mai groups in the Kivus, have also been noted.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Despite the international community's repeated condemnation of sexual violence in armed conflict, we remain deeply concerned about the fact that such acts continue to occur and in some situations have even become systematic and widespread. Impunity for sexual violence by armed groups is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. In that regard, my delegation wishes to stress the urgency and importance of demonstrating commitment and political will through efforts to prevent sexual violence and enforce accountability by prosecuting those responsible for perpetrating crimes against civilians. We therefore call on the Security Council to continue its efforts to fight impunity and uphold accountability. Through its relevant Sanctions Committees, the Council should also consider the possible effectiveness of existing sanctions regimes on parties named in the report.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Botswana strongly supports the involvement of women in peace negotiations, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. We are also supportive of calls for addressing concerns about sexual violence in mediation and peace processes, particularly in the context of security arrangements and transitional justice mechanisms. However, we believe that such efforts should take into consideration the needs and rights of women and children. I also wish to emphasize the importance of enhancing efforts to eliminate obstacles to women's access to justice, as well as of assisting States in conflict and post-conflict situations in their efforts to address sexual violence.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Ending violations of women's human rights is a moral imperative and one we must collectively commit to if we are to achieve it. In that regard, Botswana strongly supports all efforts aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and children, including sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations. In conclusion, we remain optimistic that, given our collective will, especially in the Security Council, we can bring an end to such heinous crimes.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

With regard to the Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149), which we are considering today, I would like to recall that, in accordance to resolution 1960 (2010), information collected on sexual violence should be timely, accurate, reliable and impartial. Colombia believes that, in order for our authorities to take the appropriate preventive and corrective measures, the kind of information contained in the report must be more accurate.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

We are surprised that some examples of the situation in Colombia mentioned in the report do not include sufficient information on the incidents that took place. While for Colombia it is critical to fight all forms of sexual violence against women, children and young people, we underscore that it is of great concern that the report speaks generically about increasing the pressure on perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, including the individuals, parties and States named in the reports.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

I would like to give a clear explanation here. It should be understood that, in making that call, the report of the Secretary-General is referring to the situations listed in the annex to the report, that is, those situations that are under consideration by both the Security Council and the Sanctions Committees established in connection with such situations, in accordance with the provisions of the paragraph 3 of resolution 1960 (2010). That would mean acting in accordance with the mandates set out and endeavouring to establish clear distinctions among those situations and the situations mentioned in the body of the report that are not on the Security Council's agenda.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

We reiterate our position on the possible establishment of talks with State and non-State parties to obtain commitments. Such talks should always respect national laws and policies. Allow me therefore to reiterate that Colombia's policy is that any dialogue between the United Nations and illegal armed groups operating in the country can take place only with the Government's prior and explicit consent. The Colombian State attaches the greatest importance to the prevention, investigation and prosecution of sexual violence in armed conflict. It is therefore willing to address that complex problem. We have launched a number of public policies. We have taken specific steps to protect the rights of victims of sexual violence in armed conflict, such as Act No. 1257 of 2008, on the prevention and punishment of acts of violence and discrimination against women, Act No. 1146 of 2007, on the prevention of sexual violence and the comprehensive care of sexually abused children and adolescents, and Decree No. 552 of 2012, which established the intersectoral commission for the prevention of recruitment and use of children, adolescents and young people by illegal organized groups.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

With regard to the justice sector and the armed forces, as the report indicates, Colombia has adopted a zero-tolerance policy. It is supplemented by a manual and protocol that serve as a guide for members of the armed forces in addressing sexual violence that may occur as a result of armed conflict. That document is widely disseminated among members of the armed forces.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

As can be seen, and as the Secretary-General underscores in his report, Colombia has varying policies and guarantees that mark a breakthrough in the State's efforts to address that complex problem comprehensively and consistently. Also, work is under way, in coordination with the United Nations, the Presidential High Commissioner for Women's Equality and 22 Colombian State agencies, to outline additional preventing measures, in line with the experience in the field and international standards.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

The establishment of provisions for monitoring, analysing and reporting on sexual violence in conflict situations should seek primarily, on the basis of accurate, impartial objective and verifiable information, to promote the adoption of measures to prevent sexual violence in conflict situations and to provide effective responses for the benefit of victims. In that regard, it is imperative to assist States in developing and implementing early-warning mechanisms and procedures to facilitate the reporting, collection and verification of data. To the same end, the various agencies of the United Nations must continue to strengthen coordination, decrease duplication of effort and build a coherent approach in the field in order to assist the Security Council in its consideration of appropriate measures.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

As is well known and has been repeated here on many occasions, post-conflict societies also face significant challenges in combating and eliminating sexual violence. That is an extensive phenomenon; it is deeply rooted in our societies and predates the conditions that have led to armed conflict.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

After the end of the civil war, El Salvador lived through two decades in which gender policies and attention to human rights violations were not high on the Government's agenda. To be honest, little, if anything, was done to ensure access to justice by victims and to fight impunity, and even less to establish measures that would lead to reparations for victims.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

We all know very well that, after the chaos of armed conflict, the fundamental institutions of a country are left in a general state of weakness and dependency, with limited and low levels of economic and human resources. Such countries usually take a long time to achieve the strengthening of their institutions to a degree that would allow them to be functional at an acceptable level. That is the situation in which El Salvador finds itself only four years after political change came about. At that time, a new democratic force came to power that was committed to defending human rights and promoting policies of social inclusion. Among those policies are gender equality and fighting sexual violence.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

Parallel to those efforts, the Salvadoran Government has strongly promoted a campaign against gender-based violence and sexual violence in general on different fronts. We have strengthened legislation with the approval of the comprehensive special act on violence-free lives for women. The entry into force of that new piece of legislation has been fundamental in enabling the State to exercise its responsibilities in defending, protecting and guaranteeing the rights of women.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

Parallel to those efforts, the Salvadoran Government has strongly promoted a campaign against gender-based violence and sexual violence in general on different fronts. We have strengthened legislation with the approval of the comprehensive special act on violence-free lives for women. The entry into force of that new piece of legislation has been fundamental in enabling the State to exercise its responsibilities in defending, protecting and guaranteeing the rights of women.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

Finally, the President, through the secretariat for social inclusion and the Salvadoran Institute for Women's Development, is currently promoting a large-scale awareness-raising campaign to combat violence against women, which is having a huge social impact. For the first time in El Salvador, we now have a clear policy to combat sexual- and gender-based violence, with particular concern for the principles enshrined by the United Nations on this matter. We now need the ongoing support of the international community.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

The Government of El Salvador is thus strongly committed to combating impunity and to providing access to redress for victims, as can be seen on a daily basis in the Ciudad Mujer programme. For that reason, it is important that the international community follow that process in El Salvador and that political support and cooperation be provided, so that, in the short term, the positive results of the current compensation policies can be seen on a large scale.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

In that context, the continued episodes of sexual violence, as the report describes, including, inter alia, rape, forced sterilization, abduction for sexual purposes and sexual slavery, to name just a few of the egregious acts of violence against women, are even more frustrating and saddening. As is recognized, women and girls are those predominantly affected by sexual violence, although men and boys are also victims of such heinous acts. The underlying reasons are varied; in some cases, it is done as a strategy to displace populations in order to gain access to natural resources or to facilitate drug trafficking, while in other cases it becomes a way to vent hatred for a certain race or ethnicity, or as political or economic retaliation. In that regard, it is disappointing that the report fails to highlight the targeted attacks against victims based on their religious beliefs, despite the persistence of such acts in nearly every region of the world. Also, the perpetrators, too, are varied and can be found in both legitimate State actors, such as those in a position of trust — members of armed or security forces, for example, or even United Nations peacekeepers — and in non-State actors.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

With regard to prevention, it seems not unfitting to recall how one of the first forms of prevention used in connection with crimes of sexual violence was our own intense and timely intervention in crises using various peaceful means for which the international community is well equipped, such as mediation, international measures and a commitment to tackling the underlying social and economic causes of conflicts. Alongside those broader protection efforts there should be specific prevention measures, for example, educating members of armed forces in the areas of discipline and moral fibre and undertaking awareness campaigns to promote values that offer a proper view of women in society.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Secondly, with respect to the notion of criminal responsibility, the report is at pains to address the duty to prosecute those culpable for the commission of crimes of sexual violence. In that regard, my

delegation expresses the importance of adopting and implementing action plans and legislation aimed at protecting victims from violence and holding perpetrators accountable. In cases where the Security
Council is called upon to intervene, appropriate measures should be taken to reaffirm the outright interdiction of those crimes and the criminal liability of those responsible for their commission. It is
imperative that the work of monitoring and prosecuting crimes of sexual violence be characterized by justice and equity and not political interests, which could undermine noble motivations and efforts to
combat such crimes.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

The third issue — assisting victims — seems to receive less emphasis in the report. Indeed, in order to ensure that reprisals or retribution undertaken in the pursuit of justice do not become an end in themselves, it is necessary to keep the focus on reparation for victims. It is essential that victims be afforded every assistance,whereas, on the contrary, all too frequently victims of sexual assault become ostracized by their communities, especially those who report sexual violence or those who have become pregnant as a result of rape. Particularly disturbing in that context is the revictimization of a woman or girl who has been raped when she is forced to live with her aggressor as a so-called wife.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Obviously, sexual violence leads to devastating physical and psychological consequences, sometimes even fatal ones. Of concern to my delegation in that regard is the euphemistic reference in the report to “access to services that would allow [girls or women] to safely terminate a pregnancy” (S/2013/149, para. 12). In that sentence, concealed behind a veil of words, lies the stark reality of the suppression of human life — the death of an innocent unborn child — which only visits further violence upon a woman already in difficulty. Rather, the woman with child should be offered care, support, education, counselling and assistance to meet her material, social and spiritual needs during and after her pregnancy, including, if necessary, the possibility of finding a family to adopt her child.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia notes with deep concern the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war and one that worsens its consequences, as highlighted in the Secretary- General's report. Against that backdrop, Indonesia condemns all forms of violence against women and girls in armed conflicts, particularly sexual violence, which, as the report states, predominantly affects women and girls but can also affect men and boys. We wish to reaffirm our support for resolution 1325 (2000), the first to specifically address the impact of war on women and women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. The follow-up Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security also constitute a milestone for protection and empowerment measures for women in the special situation of conflict.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia commends the adoption of the agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), last month, as a manifestation of the intergovernmental efforts that have been made by countries under the United Nations framework. The agreement reached on the agreed conclusions is a step forward in strengthening countries' commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia commends the adoption of the agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), last month, as a manifestation of the intergovernmental efforts that have been made by countries under the United Nations framework. The agreement reached on the agreed conclusions is a step forward in strengthening countries' commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

The CSW conclusions send a clear and strong message: violence against women and girls committed in armed conflict and post-conflict situations is strongly condemned; sexual and gender-based violence, which affects victims, families, communities and societies, is recognized; and effective accountability and redress measures, as well remedies, are required.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

At the national level, Indonesia's national action plan on human rights serves as a strong platform for our commitment to eliminate and prevent violence against women. The process of drafting a presidential decree is ongoing, as a legal basis to formulate a national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). When completed, the action plan, among things, will cover all phases of the peace process — from prevention to ending conflict to recovery from social conflict.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia wishes to highlight some of the main challenges in our efforts to eliminate and further prevent violence against women, including sexual violence: first, insufficient gender-sensitive policies; secondly, inadequate implementation of legal and policy frameworks; thirdly, inadequate data collection, analysis and research; fourthly, the lack of financial and human resources and insufficient allocation of such resources; and, fifthly, the lack of comprehensive, consistent, sustained, transparent and adequately monitored and evaluated efforts.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Those gaps have yet to be bridged by States as the bearers of the primary responsibility in addressing the issue of violence against women and its impact, in order to translate commitments into practical approaches and actions on the ground, to fashion more compassionate responses for victims, to pursue more aggressive prosecutions of perpetrators and to create more secure communities and environments.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

With its multifold economic, social and cultural consequences, sexual violence in conflict hampers not only women and men victims, but also their families and communities. Therefore, Indonesia supports the six-point priority agenda established by the former and current Special Representatives of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

We welcome the Special Representative's commitment to continuing the work started by her predecessor. We think that recognizing sexual violence as a tactic and a consequence of war remains vital to undertaking the real preventive action that is so urgently needed.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

The Human Security Report Project, in its report entitled “Sexual violence, education and war: beyond the mainstream narrative”, provides a valuable recommendation in that regard. It highlights the need to better understand what causes the differences in wartime sexual violence rates from one conflict to another.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

We furthermore welcome the fact that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has added to her priorities the fostering of national ownership, leadership and responsibility in combating sexual violence.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

We note with interest the important link that the report makes between sexual violence and active population displacement. It brings to light the link between sexual violence and forced displacement and the exploitation of natural resources. The Secretary- General makes useful recommendations. Allow me to highlight three of those.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

First, we strongly welcome the fact that the Secretary-General expresses the need for the women and girls who have been victims of rape to have access to emergency contraception and safe abortion services. They should not be forced to continue a pregnancy as a result of a serious crime against them. All too often, they receive no reparation or any kind of support from their own communities or from the international community. At the same time, where women and girls who have decided to continue their pregnancies cannot look after their children, steps to protect the rights of those children, including providing for national adoption, must be taken.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

That leads me to my second point, on reparations. They can have a transformative effect and should be an integral part of post-conflict transition initiatives. As UN-Women explained in a recent document, reparations are the most victim-centred transitional justice measures. In that connection, we are obliged to think beyond the traditional approach. Humanitarian aid, peacebuilding and development must be effectively linked in order to achieve a real impact, namely, the empowerment of women.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

Thirdly, and finally, Switzerland heeds the Secretary-General's call for the recruitment of women's protection advisers as members of United Nations assessment teams. We draw attention to the Justice Rapid Response initiative. It is an intergovernmental support mechanism that can provide the international community and the Security Council with rapidly deployable expertise. In cooperation with UN- Women and the Institute for International Criminal Investigations, the initiative has set up a roster of sexual and gender-based violence experts from various backgrounds. Switzerland is one of the countries that initiated the Justice Rapid Response initiative, which can contribute to the implementation of obligations arising from resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010).

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

In conclusion, I would like to recall the significant thematic connection between the discussions on sexual violence in armed conflict and the protection of civilians. We commend the fact that the Security Council takes into account the link between those two topics through a consistent approach.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Armed conflicts leave a devastating effect on societies around the world. Violence breeds more violence. Undoubtedly, women often bear the brunt of the many destructive consequences of war and strife. In that regard, sexual violence in the context of armed conflicts remains pervasive, which is a devastating reality that has yet to be resolved and one requiring steadfast efforts at all levels.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

In adopting resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010), the Security Council sent the clear message that sexual violence would not be tolerated and that ending sexual violence was essential for maintaining international peace and security. All States have the moral and legal responsibility to uphold the rights of all citizens, including women, and to protect them from sexual violence.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Afghanistan is fully committed to preventing all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence. In that regard, in 2009, we enacted a law on the elimination of violence against women, which provided for stronger judicial means to combat violence. Throughout the country, perpetrators of such crimes are increasingly being held accountable where such crimes are committed, with their cases being prosecuted before the law.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Before concluding, I wish to state that the international community has a key role to play in supporting continuous efforts aimed at ending all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence, in conflict-affected and post-conflict countries. For our part, Afghanistan remains firmly committed to playing its part in ensuring the full protection of women's rights around the world and to preventing sexual violence and all other forms of violations of human rights.

Country

India

Extracts

We support the United Nations efforts to deploy greater numbers of women's protection advisers and gender advisers to its missions. The mandate provided by the Security Council on women and peace and security also necessarily requires more resources for effective, sustained results.

Country

India

Extracts

The promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls in armed conflict continue to pose a pressing challenge. There should be zero tolerance for gender-based violence and sexual violence. All cases of gender-based violence must be promptly investigated and its perpetrators prosecuted.

Country

India

Extracts

However, we would urge caution in drawing generalized linkages between sexual violence and issues such as the exploitation of mineral resources and internal displacement, for example, based, as they are, on specific country experiences, as the recent report of the Secretary General (S/2013/149) suggests. It is pertinent to mention in that regard that the report itself points to the presence of armed conflict as the consistent backdrop in all those situations. It is also critical that the mandates given by the Security Council be observed and that the report remain focused on the situations of armed conflict on the Council's agenda. The so-called situations of concern are not part of that mandate.

Country

India

Extracts

While United Nations peacekeeping missions have provided critical support for gender-related issues in countries emerging from armed conflict, we agree with the report's assertion that it is equally important to pay adequate attention to security-sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, so as to avoid the risk of relapse. There is also a need for an increased deployment of female military and police personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and for appropriate training to enable United Nations peacekeepers to effectively discharge their responsibilities. India stands ready to place more female formed units at the disposal of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for deployment as required.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

I would like to highlight some key proposals and strategies to minimize the prevalence of sexual violence in conflict. Sexual violence is a global phenomenon in times of peace and war and in post-conflict phases. It also affects my region and demands our urgent attention

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

Promoting the rights of women is at the core of my country's human rights policy. Kazakhstan, as a member of the Executive Board of UN-Women, has repeatedly voiced the need to accelerate the implementation of global gender commitments. Those include the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (see A/S-23/10/Rev.1), the Millennium Development Goals, the Beijing Platform for Action, the 2013 Commission on the Status of Women follow- up process, and resolutions 1325 (2000), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) — all of which touch upon sexual violence in conflict. To implement them, Member States must live up to their commitments and actions. Closer interaction is needed among the Council and the Special Representative, UN-Women, the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as country teams on the ground.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

The Council is taking a positive step by expanding its work at the level of Sanctions Committees by considering sexual violence and rape as designation criteria in various sanctions regimes, as a tool to enhance accountability. It is therefore obligatory on such committees to reinforce those criteria. To succeed, there has to be better information sharing among the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Sanctions Committees and their associated expert groups. The submission of names of perpetrators should be followed up on without delay, and without impunity being granted to State or non-State actors.

Country

Kazakhstan

Extracts

It is noteworthy that provisions for protection against gender-based violence and violence against women and children were incorporated into article 7, paragraph 4, of the Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the transfer of major types of weapons and which the General Assembly adopted earlier this month. The 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons must also begin to reflect a gender-sensitive perspective, like the Arms Trade Treaty, because armed sexual violence in armed conflict totally devastates women and children. For significant results to accrue, each tool should not to be implemented piecemeal but taken as part of a unified, consolidated and comprehensive approach. United Nations system- wide coherence on gender-based violence in conflict, combining synergy with regional organizations, intergovernmental bodies and key stakeholders, would result in strengthened mechanisms for monitoring, reporting and implementation.

Country

Netherlands

Extracts

The Netherlands has for decades put gender equality at the heart of all its policies. Internationally, we support female leadership, the follow-up of resolution 1325 (2000), women's economic empowerment and the elimination of sexual violence against women. Equal rights and opportunities for women and their full participation in society and decision-making are important not just for the security of women; women are powerful agents for peace, stability and prosperity in any society.

Country

Netherlands

Extracts

First, we support enhancing monitoring, research and reporting, as well as putting in place an appropriate mechanism or procedure by the Security Council to systematically monitor commitments by parties to conflict so as to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence.

Country

Extracts

Country

Netherlands

Extracts

Because of the important role of women, since 2007 the Netherlands has invested in national action plans, together with civil society organizations, research institutions and other Government institutions — altogether more than 40 partners. The objective of those partnerships is to create an enabling environment in which women are better able to take a leading role and to participate in political decision-making processes. Within the United Nations, the Netherlands wants to continue its proactive role within the United Nations Human Rights Council, the General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women. We are also committed, and a long-term supporter of, the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

The issue of sexual violence in conflict is a global problem, and in recent years its gravity has been demonstrated, in many cases, in Africa, most recently in places not far from Rwanda. Sexual violence in conflict is as complex as it is horrifying. Its occurrence does not necessarily correspond with the intensity of the related armed violence: in low-intensity conflicts and post-conflict situations, women and children can be at as great a risk of sexual violence as during the height of hostilities. That complexity requires that the Council carefully craft its responses in addressing and focusing on sexual violence in conflict.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

In that connection, we are all the more pleased to note from the assessment in the Security Council Report cross-cutting report entitled Women, Peace and Security: Violence in Conflict and Sanctions that, despite ongoing controversy at the thematic level, the Council has, in country-specific situations, continued to apply the substance of the principles that it had previously developed on women and peace and security. That is good news.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

Even better news is the assessment that there seems to be an emerging trend, when new problems emerge, as recently they did in Mali and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to have explicit women peace and security language incorporated into mandates at the outset of a mission. We urge that that trend continue. Looking ahead, there is still great scope for improvement in the Council's work in particular cases, as is well illustrated by the experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where many women and children have suffered serious sexual violence.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

Sanctions can, in appropriate cases, play an important role in combating sexual violence. The recent actions of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with regard to listing entities responsible for sexual violence and explicitly linking the listing to sexual violence, is an important signal that carefully crafted and targeted sanctions will be used to combat the most serious and systematic incidents of sexual violence in conflict. The Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda and the Mouvement du 23 mars have now been listed by the Committee, and that sends a very important signal. However, the Council should ensure that the criteria for listing are regularly updated and harmonized across the various regimes.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

The deployment of peacekeepers with an explicit mandate to protect civilians from sexual violence has been a very important step. But the challenge is to ensure that such deployment delivers results effectively in the field. Peacekeepers must be supported with appropriate training and resources to enable them to fulfil their protection mandate. We note, for example, that the Intervention Brigade in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is specifically mandated, in resolution 2098 (2013), to contribute to civilian security, which necessarily includes protection from sexual violence.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

We ask that MONUSCO's intervention operations be carefully monitored by the Council. Combat operations are inherently risky for civilian populations, no matter how principled the motivation, whether Blue Helmet or not. We must remember the recent reports in the Kivus about retreating troops committing extensive acts of rape and sexual violence. It is clear that, all too often in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, instability resulting from the use of force has helped create a climate that leads to sexual violence. Too often in the past, the Security Council has been caught off balance by outrages against civilians. The experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows that the Council should, and can, find better ways to maintain appropriate engagement so as to enable the proper management of those risks. The host country, regional actors, regional and subregional organizations and troop-contributing countries must all be involved to ensure the best outcome in protecting civilian populations and reducing the incidence of sexual violence.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

Just as many Member States have assiduously addressed sexual violence in their domestic environments, so, too, must the international community be equally resolved to make good on its commitment to protect populations from that all-too-prevalent scourge. It can do that through the actions and decisions — and with the support — of the Council.

Country

Syria

Extracts

My country has examined the Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in armed conflict (S/2013/149) and the information it contains, submitted by the Special Representative. We support all efforts aimed at putting an end to all forms of the crime of sexual violence in conflict, ending impunity and punishing perpetrators and those who incite such violence. However, we also call for extreme care and objectivity in addressing this grave humanitarian issue, which has reached serious levels in more than one place. Perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to justice, whether for crimes committed in the jails of Abu Ghraib in Iraq or in any other place.

Country

Syria

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General includes seven paragraphs concerning my country. The allegations contained in the report were based on reports by the independent international commission of inquiry in 2012 and 2013. My country would like to stress that the work of that commission since its inception was not professional; rather, it was primarily politically motivated. The commission rejected hundreds of compelling documents and evidence submitted by the Government of Syria regarding crimes committed by armed terrorist groups. It conveniently selected inaccurate claims, as the Special Representative herself admitted, and chose to use inaccurate sources implicated in terrorism and the bloodletting of Syrian citizens. In its conclusions, the commission relied on unofficial, inaccurate reports submitted by opposition parties and sources hostile to the Syrian State and the Syrian people. For the Council's information, I would like to mention that the commission has to date not visited Syria.

Country

Syria

Extracts

The Government of Syria has outlined those serious lapses to the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, as well as to the commission of inquiry in an official and documented manner. But the commission has ignored all that, for unknown reasons. My delegation addressed several official letters to Special Representative Zainab Hawa Bangura that included documented information on the responsibility of armed terrorist groups for committing acts of rape, sexual assault and killing of Syrian women and girls. Those armed groups have become proficient at kidnapping Syrian women and girls and exploiting them as sexual handmaidens for the entertainment of terrorists.

Country

Syria

Extracts

In conclusion, my homeland, Syria, would like to seriously deal with those horrendous and egregious violations of human rights. Syria would like to cooperate with the United Nations, especially with Ms. Zainab Bangura, in order to expose the true events unfolding in Syria in a manner free of sensationalism and politicization and divorced from the agenda of influential Powers in this international Organization. We therefore look forward to her forthcoming visit to Syria as the beginning of an optimal way of cooperating and ascertaining correct information on the sexual violence committed by armed terrorist groups against the Syrian people.

Country

Syria

Extracts

In that regard, I would like to raise some questions. Why did the Special Representative choose to ignore the statement she issued on 15 February under the headline “Syria, release kidnapped women and children and protect them from sexual violence”. In the statement, she documented an incident involving the kidnapping of a bus carrying no fewer than 40 civilians, most of them women and children, by armed groups in north- western Syria. Why did the Special Representative choose to ignore the hundreds of reports that have been issued in the course of the two years of the crisis by Western media sources that document violations by terrorist groups of the rights of Syrian women and girls? Why did the Special Representative choose to disregard the admissions by armed groups themselves of having committing sexual assaults and rapes — contained in documented videos posted on the Internet — in which those crimes were part of the Takfiri fundamentalist ideology they seek to promote? Why did the Special Representative avoid shining a light on the violations committed by the countries hosting displaced Syrians and Syrian refugees of their obligations under international conventions related to the protection of the rights of women, children and refugees?

Country

Syria

Extracts

We had sincerely hoped that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General would have publicly presented the violations of the rights of Syrian women and girls in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. For example, there were more than 250 documented cases in which Syrian women in a Turkish refugee camp had been impregnated by Turkish supervisors and their terrorist associates. We had hoped that there would have been references to violations against Syrian girls in Jordanian refugee camps, of the serious violations by means of systematic acts of rape by false religious groups wearing religious garb, and of Syrian women being forced to enter into forced marriages, in some cases involving girls under the age of 14. That is in addition to the inappropriate exploitation of the suffering of Syrian families in another Arab State where documented reports have referred to the marriage of more than 12,000 underage Syrian girls in the course of one year — on the basis of false edicts and pernicious calls by clerics in certain mosques who are followers of Salafi and Wahhabi movements. It is as if the only way to provide humanitarian assistance by those demagogic religious idiots is through religious sexual warfare.

Country

Syria

Extracts

In conclusion, my homeland, Syria, would like to seriously deal with those horrendous and egregious violations of human rights. Syria would like to cooperate with the United Nations, especially with Ms. Zainab Bangura, in order to expose the true events unfolding in Syria in a manner free of sensationalism and politicization and divorced from the agenda of influential Powers in this international Organization. We therefore look forward to her forthcoming visit to Syria as the beginning of an optimal way of cooperating and ascertaining correct information on the sexual violence committed by armed terrorist groups against the Syrian people.

Country

Canada

Extracts

Canada supports the Special Representative's activities to ensure the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence and to ensure the health, security and dignity of survivors and their access to justice. Conflict-related sexual violence is of great concern to Canada. Canada places high priority on advancing women's full participation at all levels of society — a condition that is essential for maintaining the health, justice and prosperity of communities. Because of its devastating and enduring effects on the women and girls who are subjected to such crimes, as well as on their families and communities, rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict remain a huge barrier to peace, security and development.

Country

Canada

Extracts

Following the harrowing accounts of sexual violence in Mali reported by the Secretary-General, Canada urges the Council to ensure that the Mali mission mandate specifically addresses sexual violence. The Council should ensure that preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence is included in all mission mandates. Perpetrators of sexual violence must be held to account. We support the prosecution of those who have perpetrated or who have a command responsibility for such crimes. We call on the Council to adopt a systematic approach to addressing reports of conflict-related sexual violence and to ensure that Sanctions Committees include criteria pertaining to acts of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Country

Canada

Extracts

We welcome the recent agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations to strengthen efforts to tackle conflict-related sexual violence. We urge its implementation and look forward to seeing improvements on the ground very soon.

Country

Canada

Extracts

Canada's contribution to the prevention of sexual violence in conflict situations includes $18.5 million over the next five years to support victims, as well as to contribute to investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rape has been used as a weapon of war. Canada has also supported special training investigators of sexual violence, who can be rapidly deployed to post-conflict areas around the world. On 11 April, Canada's Minister for Foreign Affairs, John Baird, announced an additional contribution of $5 million towards tackling sexual violence against women and girls.

Country

Canada

Extracts

In conclusion, allow me to reiterate that Canada is committed to working with the international community on preventing and responding to conflict- related sexual violence in all of its forms, including rape as a weapon of war and early and forced marriage, in order to advance human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including women and girls. We call on the Security Council to strengthen its response in that regard as well.

Country

China

Extracts

Respecting and protecting women's rights is not only a reflection of progress in human society and civilization, it is also closely linked to global peace and development. Women are vulnerable to becoming victims of all sorts of violence in situations of armed conflict. Not only is that a grave infringement upon women's rights, but it is also a challenge to the full resolution of conflicts and the rebuilding of society.

Country

China

Extracts

In recent years, States Members of the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations have cooperated closely to fight sexual violence in armed conflict. China welcomes that. At the same time, in today's many conflict situations, sexual violence against women remains prevalent. The international community has a long way to go in defending women's security, rights and interests.

Country

China

Extracts

China condemns all violence against women in armed conflict, including sexual violence. China supports the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Council and urges parties in conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and other relevant international law to effectively protect the safety of women and other disadvantaged groups. I would like to emphasize three points.

Country

China

Extracts

Thirdly, safeguarding women's rights and preventing and containing sexual violence in conflict require the full development of women. The international community cannot just pay attention to the phenomenon of sexual violence in conflict, demanding increased pressure and punishment and the establishment of monitoring mechanisms; it should also eliminate the sources of conflict, devote major attention to economic and social development, advance the status of women in real terms and make the empowerment of women a reality.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Although the Security Council has clearly stipulated in the relevant resolutions that sexual violence in conflict is a serious threat to peace and security, it remains a neglected and under-reported crime. The recent annual report of the Secretary General (S/2013/149) has brought to light some very disturbing findings. It shows that sexual violence is used in many conflicts as a weapon of war by armed groups and, in some cases, even by the armed forces. More than 30 parties from five countries are credibly suspected of committing or condoning sexual violence in conflict. And those are only parties in countries on the Council's agenda and on which the United Nations had verified information; the actual figures are undoubtedly much higher. Especially alarming is the fact that many of the victims are children. Therefore, the ultimate goal of our discussion here today must be to find new and better ways to address that abhorrent crime.

Country

Germany

Extracts

First, we welcome the work of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and hope it will continue to work closely with other United Nations mechanisms to guarantee the best possible concerted actions in the fight against sexual violence. We also welcome the dedicated work of Special Representative Bangura and the fact that she was able to brief the Council several times in the past months, including on the situations in Syria and the Central African Republic. However, the Council should make more use of the information received and do more to act and hold perpetrators accountable. It could, for example, release corresponding press statements, write specific letters to the Governments concerned and more often refer specific cases to the Sanctions Committees and, as a last resort, to the International Criminal Court.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Secondly, the Council should keep the issue of women and peace and security, including sexual violence, high on its agenda and make sure that all the relevant reports, mandate renewals and country visits by the Council contain specific provisions in that regard. More women's protection advisers need to be deployed, including in United Nations assessment teams and missions.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Thirdly, in security sector reform and in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, more focus should be given to the needs of women and girls, not only as victims but also with a view to their active participation in reintegration processes. In peace agreements, sexual violence shall figure in one important provision: those who have previously committed or condoned sexual violence should be excluded from amnesty provisions and should not be allowed to serve in the relevant official functions.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Fourthly, Member States and regional organizations can also do more. Sexual violence shall under no circumstances be socially accepted. It is of paramount importance to criminalize sexual violence by law, hold perpetrators accountable and provide assistance services and reparations for survivors. In that regard, we welcome the recent press statement by the African Union Peace and Security Council and its call for the development of new strategies to fight sexual violence in conflict. Also, we are confident that the recent commitments made in the Group of Eight context to address impunity for sexual violence in conflict will have a significant impact.

Country

Germany

Extracts

For my Government, confronting sexual violence is one of the priority areas in our new national action plan on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). We actively support the United Nations, Member States and civil society in their fight against sexual violence. Personnel of non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders and journalists who report about cases of sexual violence, in particular, are often at a heightened risk of being targeted themselves. They all need our support to continue their invaluable work in raising awareness and helping Governments prevent or ease the consequences of sexual violence.

Country

Japan

Extracts

I would like to touch on Japan's primary policy. Conflict-related sexual violence should be tackled by the international community as a whole. Japan places great emphasis on this issue. As our Foreign Minister stated in a recent speech on foreign policy, Japan will continue to address this issue, and will participate actively in international initiatives on human rights issues, including the protection of women's rights. Last month, Japan announced a new contribution of $4.5 million for programmes aimed at preventing sexual violence and supporting victims in countries such as Libya, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Mali.

Country

Japan

Extracts

Japan condemns attacks on women's human rights defenders and emphasizes that Member States should take steps to ensure the protection of such defenders. We also recognize the importance of multisectoral services for victims of sexual violence. In that regard, our recent contribution addresses various needs of victims, including, for example, the establishment of relief and recovery systems for legal support and mental-health care in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons.

Country

Japan

Extracts

Japan strongly supports the idea of shifting the stigma attached to crimes of sexual violence off the victims and onto the perpetrators. We also support efforts to comprehensively address cultures of impunity. In that regard, Japan has, for instance, been supporting Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs in implementing its law on the eIimination of violence against women.

Country

Japan

Extracts

As was pointed out in the Secretary-General's report, addressing sexual violence in the context of security sector reform processes is of key importance. Over the past five years, Japan has provided $900 million to help support the Afghanistan National Police, part of which has been used for employing and training female police officers. So far, more than 1,400 female police officers have been hired. And in Africa, for example, Japan has been supporting capacity-building and training for Somalia's security officers in the areas of sexual and gender-based violence and the abuse and exploitation of children.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

We particularly welcome the fact that the report discloses new trends and the use of several forms of sexual violence as a tactic of war against not only women and girls but also men and boys. Other interesting elements set out in the report include the connection between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources and the connection between sexual violence and the failure of security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. Moreover, the report gives a clear and comprehensive idea of the intensive follow- up and advocacy work carried out worldwide by the current and former Special Representatives to advance the fight against conflict-related sexual violence.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

The Security Council has recognized that the protection of women is a critical priority for peace and security. Resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010) clearly establish the fight against sexual violence in its agenda. The Council has created the necessary tools to obtain reliable and accurate information on sexual violence: a common definition of sexual violence and common methodologies for data collection through a monitoring and reporting mechanism are now used throughout the system. Another promising tool at the disposal of Member States is the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law, and Portugal welcomes the technical cooperation that was provided at the request of national authorities in six countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

National accountability needs to be reinforced, as Member States bear the primary responsibility to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence by strengthening of the capacities of national institutions, in particular health, judicial and social systems. The action of the international community must also be reinforced. The deployment of women protection advisers in the relevant peacekeeping operations, so as to strengthen the prevention of and response to sexual violence, needs to be accelerated in order to ensure that dedicated capacity on sexual violence exists within peacekeeping and political missions. The challenges that have delayed the deployment of such advisers must be overcome. We are encouraged by arrangements that have allowed the deployment of such advisers in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire, but we also note that women protection advisers are urgently needed in Mali, Syria and Libya, as mentioned in the report of the Secretary- General.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

All of the information contained in the report is relevant for the Security Council in terms of its Charter-mandated responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The information that has already been collected by the reporting mechanism will make it possible for the Council to have access to “timely, objective, accurate and reliable information” on sexual violence in conflict. With such information, the Council will also be able to take further steps. That should be understood as a clear message to perpetrators of sexual violence that the Council is ready to apply sanctions or to use all other means at its disposal, including referrals to the International Criminal Court, against perpetrators that have been identified as having committed sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

The Council needs to be consistent in its decisions and reinforce the message that impunity is simply not acceptable, sexual violence is simply not tolerable and there can be no genuine security without women's security.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

Let me conclude my statement with a word for the survivors of sexual violence. They are at the centre of our debates. Let us not forget them and the fact that, beyond bringing perpetrators to justice, the international community also needs to afford care and reparation to women and girls and men and boys that have been victims of sexual violence in conflict-related situations.

Country

Russia

Extracts

The consideration of the issues relating to women and peace and security should be based on a comprehensive approach, as set forth in the Council's baseline resolution on the matter, namely, resolution 1325 (2000). The varied nature of the violence that occurs during armed conflict requires that attention be paid to all its manifestations. Unquestionably, sexual violence must be roundly condemned and severely punished. We believe this problem is very real, particularly in specific conflict situations where such crimes are becoming increasingly widespread.

Country

Russia

Extracts

Combating sexual violence is also an important component of the range of measures needed in peace processes and post-conflict restoration. This type of crime is not a root cause of armed conflict, but rather a result of prevailing impunity. We believe that crimes committed require mandatory punishment, whether they be acts of sexual violence, terrorism or indiscriminate or disproportionate force. After all, the victims of all such acts are totally innocent people.

Country

Russia

Extracts

We have studied with interest the report of the Secretary-General for this meeting (S/2013/149). The first thing that strikes us is the document's thoroughness and the scale of the work done by the Special Representative. However, the contents of the document raises some questions. As we see it, in order to set up a genuinely credible discussion of such a sensitive issue, it is essential to act dispassionately, based on objective and reliable information. For instance, responsibility for sexual crimes in Syria is laid at the door only of the Government forces and their supporters. Analogous crimes committed by representatives of the opposition are touched on only in passing, despite the numerous assertions that have been made about them.

Country

Russia

Extracts

The principle behind the selection of the countries mentioned in various sections of the report is unclear. For instance, in the section on current and emerging concerns regarding sexual violence as it relates to international peace and security, besides countries that are on the Council's agenda, situations in a number of other States are also highlighted. It is striking that, in a significant number of the cases cited in the report of sexual violence in various parts of the world, the issue at times is not one of trends or systematic practices of sexual violence but of isolated incidents. Further investigation of many such incidents reveals that they are more likely to be criminally punishable acts committed by criminal groups, rather than war crimes.

Country

Russia

Extracts

The scope of the work done under Security Council auspices in this area was agreed to based on an intergovernmental process and enshrined in the relevant Council resolutions. We therefore feel that it involves the consideration of issues relating to sexual violence in armed conflict. We appeal to the Special Representative to adhere to the Council's mandate in carrying out her work. We do not see a need for establishing a special procedure or body for monitoring the compliance of parties to a conflict with obligations to combat sexual violence. As we see it, the current mechanisms in this area are sufficient. First among those is the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, while the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict also plays a significant role. As I stated previously, we believe issues of sexual violence must be considered in the Security Council only in the context of the agenda item on women and peace and security, and in connection with the subject of the maintenance of peace and security.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

Solomon Islands is contributing to the debate as a country emerging from conflict. While stamping out sexual violence from any conflict is our global responsibility, the primary responsibility, as rightly pointed out by the Secretary-General, rests with States. Solomon Islands continues to tackle the issue of sexual violence in the context of its gender-based violence national framework.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

That also speaks of the rich experience that the women of my country have gained during the height of our ethnic conflict. They appealed for peace, as women in parts of the country suffered from sexual violence.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

We just completed the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women last month, whose agreed conclusions speak of how violent the world has become. Seven out of 10 women suffer from gender violence. Sexual violence, unfortunately, has gone viral. Two out of three women in Solomon Islands suffer from gender-based violence. Solomon Islands has responded by establishing a specific policy on the elimination of gender violence as a subsidiary of our gender equality and women's development policy.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

The elimination of gender-based violence is a shared responsibility. We are tackling the issues, working with all stakeholders to address the issue of rape and sexual violence with a strong campaign to prevent it, protect victims and deal with perpetrators. Solomon Islands has institutionalized Government- wide structures to deal with the issue nationally, working with all the relevant stakeholders. We have in place a national steering committee to monitor the progress in the implementation of the policy, which reports to the national task force.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

Let me conclude by highlighting one of the challenges facing our world today, namely, climate change. Climate change cuts across all three pillars of the multilateral system and is serving to disempower women, especially as land is being swallowed up by the rise in sea-levels. To date, the Organization's response to disaster-risk management has been directed to sudden- onset events, rather than to the slow-onset events such as climate change. We hope to see a change of approach in that area. Finally, Solomon Islands would like to say that we join others in condemning sexual violence, wherever it may occur.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

The establishment of provisions for monitoring, analysing and reporting on sexual violence in conflict situations should seek primarily, on the basis of accurate, impartial objective and verifiable information, to promote the adoption of measures to prevent sexual violence in conflict situations and to provide effective responses for the benefit of victims. In that regard, it is imperative to assist States in developing and implementing early-warning mechanisms and procedures to facilitate the reporting, collection and verification of data. To the same end, the various agencies of the United Nations must continue to strengthen coordination, decrease duplication of effort and build a coherent approach in the field in order to assist the Security Council in its consideration of appropriate measures.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General, entitled “Sexual violence in conflict” (S/2013/149), which was been presented by his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlights several concerns emerging this year, including the perpetration of sexual violence against men and boys as a tactic of war or in the context of detention or interrogation, children born as a result of rape in wartime, and the practice of forced marriages by armed groups. It also draws attention to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the displacement of civilian populations, the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts, and the challenge of sexual violence being universally underreported for reasons that include the risk of reprisal.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

The report responds to those emerging concerns through a set of important recommendations that include ensuring the deployment of women's protection advisers in United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, thereby systematically responding to sexual violence in conflict in all the relevant situations. In that regard, my delegation would like to express its appreciation for the efforts exerted by Ms. Bangura and her team in the preparation of the first report since she assumed her responsibilities, which took into account the concerns expressed by Members States last year regarding the mandate of the Special Representative.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict represents one of the most serious forms of violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Such violations cause a lifetime of pain that cannot be healed. In that regard, Egypt stresses the importance of implementing policies of zero-tolerance for sexual violence, ensuring that all perpetrators be held accountable, whether they be the ones who committed, ordered or condoned such crimes, and that all perpetrators be pursued by any and all possible means. Despite the Security Council's unique ability to impose targeted sanctions on perpetrators as an important part of deterrence, Egypt emphasizes the importance of adopting preventive measures to address the spread of sexual violence in conflict as a priority. There is an urgent need to support the Member States concerned in preventing sexual violence, in ensuring zero tolerance for it and in prosecuting its perpetrators.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

Egypt also believes that it is of importance to address sexual violence issues in the early phases of peace processes, in mediation efforts and in ceasefire and peace agreements, particularly in provisions on security arrangements, transitional justice and reparations. Increased attention must be paid to the survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations as an integral part of States' obligations towards them, including by setting up mechanisms aimed at preventing the recurrence of such crimes and by providing them with all the services and assistance they need, including rehabilitation and reintegration support.

Country

Fiji

Extracts

The past debates of the Council on women and peace and security in which Fiji has participated have focused on the broader implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The current report of the Secretary-General focuses on sexual violence in conflict, bringing into sharper focus the work needed for the implementation of the subsequent resolutions, in particular resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010).

Country

Fiji

Extracts

Fiji is committed to the elimination of sexual violence and to working both domestically and with the international community to do so. At the national level, Fiji's Ministry of Women has revived the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Elimination of Violence against Women to coordinate policy responses across all Government agencies. It is working with the Fiji police force to implement the law introduced in the last few years that, among other things, introduced marital rape as a specific offence under the criminal code, and also introduced a child-welfare code requiring teachers, doctors and other professionals to report suspected child-abuse cases. The Ministry also champions a campaign on zero tolerance of violence against women and children, which operates at the community level in partnership with community leaders, the police force and non-governmental organizations.

Country

Fiji

Extracts

At the international level, Fiji's commitment to eliminating sexual violence is expressed primarily through its peacekeeping efforts. Fiji sends police peacekeepers to missions where the mandate includes capacity-building of local security institutions. In post- conflict situations, our experience has been that a large part of that capacity- building is to assist local security institutions in responding to cases of sexual violence, from initial contact with victims through victim counseling through to the finality of police involvement in such cases. Beyond this, community policing and assisting local police institutions in awareness-raising and preventative policing has also formed part of Fiji's contribution.

Country

Fiji

Extracts

Eliminating sexual violence is crucial, because only in the absence of sexual and other forms of violence will the empowerment of women be possible so as to achieve gender equality. Women in our communities are change-makers and core to the functioning of our communities. They are first responders in moments of crisis, including in responding to natural disasters and in adapting the approach of communities to new challenges such as those posed by climate change. Our societies are only as strong as the weakest among us. If we are to address emerging security and developmental challenges, we have to ensure that those most at risk of marginalization, including at-risk women and children, are freed from the risk of violence and fully empowered to contribute.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

We cannot talk about women and peace and security without dealing with the root causes of the problem. The protection of women is therefore not just a humanitarian issue but also an one that guides our efforts in many fields, especially in the application of rules for the protection of women in times of conflict without discrimination or selectivity. We must call on all parties to conflicts to take special measures to protect women and girls from sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

It is troubling that, even as we are holding this meeting, many women and girls in various parts of the world, including in the Arab world, are being subjected to forms of violence that lead to their killing and to the displacement of millions of people, especially women and children, who are more vulnerable and therefore more affected by such situations. They are exposed in particular to sexual violence and to psychological and physical violence. Women and girls are exposed to the worst kinds of violence resulting from conflict in our region, and they bear the brunt of that violence. In the Arab region, women in Palestine suffer from the unjust measures taken by the Israeli occupiers. Women in the Syrian Arab Republic are exposed to discrimination and to psychological and sexual violence, detention and imprisonment. Those acts are crimes against humanity and war crimes. The conflict in Syria has forced women and girls to flee from cities because of a lack of security and a lack of humanitarian access to those women and girls. That was reiterated in the report of the Secretary- General on sexual violence in conflict.

Speaker

Civil Society Speaker

Extracts

As mandated by the Security Council in resolution 1888 (2009), the Group of Friends urges the further and timely deployment of women protection advisers to Security Council-mandated missions. Missions must plan and budget for women's protection advisers in all the relevant situations of concern. The Group of Friends also recognizes that women's human rights defenders face particular risks in conflict situations in the course of their work, as that work can include frontline protection, service provision, monitoring, fact-finding and documenting cases of sexual violence and empowering survivors of sexual violence in conflict to pursue judicial and other remedies. The Group of Friends strongly encourages Member States to take steps to ensure that women's human rights defenders are afforded greater protection to carry out their work without risk.

Speaker

Civil Society Speaker

Extracts

The 45 members of the Group of Friends, which represent all five regional groups at the United Nations, reaffirm their support, in the strongest terms, for the work of the Security Council aimed at preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence. The Group of Friends welcomes the recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) on this issue and calls on the Security Council and the United Nations system to act systematically and comprehensively to address gaps and challenges to, and accelerate progress in, its work on women, peace and security, and to monitor commitments by parties to conflict to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence. We further urge the Security Council to ensure that its mandated missions consistently evaluate the level of protection and promotion of women's human rights.

Speaker

Civil Society Speaker

Extracts

The Group of Friends welcomes the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, and strongly supports her efforts aimed at preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence, while underlining women's empowerment and equal participation as prerequisites for tackling the underlying causes of sexual violence in conflict. The Group of Friends also welcomes the adoption by the Commission on the Status of Women during its fifty-seventh session, from 4 to 15 March, of its agreed conclusions entitled “The elimination of violence against women and girls”.

Country

Turkey

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) and the statements made today make clear that, over the past three and a half years, effective action has been taken by the United Nations to prevent and address the scourge of sexual violence in conflict. We also note with satisfaction the activities and initiatives undertaken by UN-Women, including through the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, to which Turkey is a contributor.

Country

Turkey

Extracts

Despite those efforts, sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent. Both the report of the Secretary- General and the findings of the international commission of inquiry indicate the occurrence of serious cases of sexual violence in the course of the conflict taking place just across our border with Syria. In that regard, we welcome the intention of Special Representative Bangura to visit Syria to investigate the reports of abuses.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In addition, Rwanda is the leading contributor from Africa of female police and correctional officers to United Nations peace support and peacekeeping missions. Among other duties, those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness about violence against women. They also serve as advisers on gender-based violence and share best practices with officers and local authorities. All our peacekeepers undergo specific training on respect for gender and human rights prior to deployment.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The United Nations does much to deal with the protection of women in situations of armed conflict. We all know that that is not enough. Much more needs to be done. It is imperative to continue to mainstream the gender perspective into peacekeeping operations. As the largest troop-contributing country, we can testify to the fact that the appointment of gender advisers in the field has served a useful purpose. That practice must be strengthened. We are proud of our women peacekeepers, who have served as police officers, doctors and nurses in peacekeeping operations in Asia, Africa and the Balkans. We have made gender sensitization a mandatory part of the training of our peacekeepers.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The Council must be fully informed before acting, which is why it is so important to establish follow-up, analysis and information-exchange mechanisms within peacekeeping operations and political missions and to provide for the deployment of sufficient numbers of women protection advisers, who have a crucial role to play in the coordination of the implementation of Security Council resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence. Luxemburg will remain committed to ensuring that future mandates, as well as the renewal of existing mandates, take into consideration this important aspect. As the Secretary-General underscored this morning, it is important to constantly incorporate that aspect into mission planning and budgeting.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Peacekeeping operations are another important pillar contributing to the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence. Local populations and international public opinion have high expectations concerning the role of United Nations peacekeepers in preventing sexual violence. In that regard, adequate training remains key, not only to ensure that peacekeepers acquire a proper understanding of how to address cases of sexual violence, but also to enable them to apply concrete prevention strategies.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Integrating a gender perspective into peacekeeping policies and the promotion of women's participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations is fundamental to a more effective performance on the ground. Recruiting women in the civil, military and police components of peacekeeping missions can encourage local women to report incidents of sexual violence and can also contribute to establishing better communication with local communities. We will spare no effort to advance on that issue. The relevant authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina have adopted a policy that one third of the nominated candidates for peacekeeping missions must be women.

Country

India

Extracts

While United Nations peacekeeping missions have provided critical support for gender-related issues in countries emerging from armed conflict, we agree with the report's assertion that it is equally important to pay adequate attention to security-sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, so as to avoid the risk of relapse. There is also a need for an increased deployment of female military and police personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and for appropriate training to enable United Nations peacekeepers to effectively discharge their responsibilities. India stands ready to place more female formed units at the disposal of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for deployment as required.

Country

New Zealand

Extracts

The deployment of peacekeepers with an explicit mandate to protect civilians from sexual violence has been a very important step. But the challenge is to ensure that such deployment delivers results effectively in the field. Peacekeepers must be supported with appropriate training and resources to enable them to fulfil their protection mandate. We note, for example, that the Intervention Brigade in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is specifically mandated, in resolution 2098 (2013), to contribute to civilian security, which necessarily includes protection from sexual violence.

Country

Fiji

Extracts

At the international level, Fiji's commitment to eliminating sexual violence is expressed primarily through its peacekeeping efforts. Fiji sends police peacekeepers to missions where the mandate includes capacity-building of local security institutions. In post- conflict situations, our experience has been that a large part of that capacity- building is to assist local security institutions in responding to cases of sexual violence, from initial contact with victims through victim counseling through to the finality of police involvement in such cases. Beyond this, community policing and assisting local police institutions in awareness-raising and preventative policing has also formed part of Fiji's contribution.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

In 2012, the United Nations stated that, whatever the geography of conflict and its structural causes, from Côte d'Ivoire to Mali and from Libya to those affected by the earthquake in Haiti — in every instance — over 70 per cent of those displaced were been women and children. We know that women in camps, women refugees and displaced women are particularly at risk of becoming victims of violence, exploitation and poverty. However, just as clearly, we do not accept that that should be their fate.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We note that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has introduced a robust policy on women refugees, has prepared action guidelines for the protection of women refugees and will continue to include the gender dimension in its assistance and protection work.

Country

France

Extracts

In Syria, the regime and its supporters are systematically using sexual violence to intimidate civilians and to get them to flee. Those crimes may be added to the long list of those committed by the Syrian armed forces against their own people. France believes that the referral of the matter to the ICC is amply justified.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Women and girls are targeted deliberately. Sexual and gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict affects the dignity not only of victims and survivors but also of families, communities and societies. It causes moral and psychosocial injury and is used as a tactic of war to force the displacement of populations and to illegally acquire natural resources.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

We appreciate the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149) on which today's discussion is based. The report gives a shiver-raising overview of how widespread the terrible scourge of sexual violence still is. It also pointedly highlights emerging concerns such as the plight of children born out of rape, the practice of forced marriages by armed groups, sexual violence against men and boys, the displacement of civilian populations and the inadequacy of disarmament efforts. We note with serious concern that, as reported, sexual violence has been used to force internal and cross- border displacement in many places of the world and that women and children are also targeted both inside and outside refugee and internally displaced persons camps and settlements.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

In that context, my delegation welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149). It shows that sexual violence continues to occur in conflict and post-conflict situations throughout the world, and that in some cases such acts have become systematic and widespread. The report also reveals worrying emerging trends, such as the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources and the displacement of civilian populations. What is more worrying is that sexual violence is almost universally under-reported. Against that backdrop, my delegation would like to stress following key points.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Madame President, we welcome the Secretary General's report on sexual violence in conflict. Tragically, the report and today's briefings remind us that this issue is a global problem. It is also complex and multifaceted, from sexual violence used as a tool for coercive population displacement to forced marriages by armed groups to the challenges of widespread unreporting of abuse and the plight of children born out of rape.

Country

Italy

Extracts

The Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149) gives us a comprehensive picture of a daunting challenge for the international community. In far too many conflict-related situations, women, men and children are not protected from such international crimes. We are particularly concerned about the serious human rights violations in northern Mali, including rape; the heightened risk of rape for refugees and internally displaced persons; the perpetration of rape and sexual violence in detention centres in Syria; and the alarming number of incidents of sexual violence in Somalia. We also note with concern emerging trends such as the perpetration of sexual violence against men and boys, the plight of children born as a result of a rape, and the practice of forced marriages by armed groups.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

Our group remains greatly concerned about certain facts provided in the Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149) that indicate systematic and widespread sexual violence used to punish, intimidate and subjugate women, men and children. In addition, the report highlights the increased use of sexual violence as a means of displacing populations, which represents a worrying trend.

Country

Spain

Extracts

It is an issue of great concern that affects sensitive areas, such as the protection of civilians in all kinds of armed conflict, the displacement of populations and peacebuilding processes, without forgetting its undeniable connection with other scourges, such as trafficking in persons.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

We note with interest the important link that the report makes between sexual violence and active population displacement. It brings to light the link between sexual violence and forced displacement and the exploitation of natural resources. The Secretary- General makes useful recommendations. Allow me to highlight three of those.

Country

India

Extracts

However, we would urge caution in drawing generalized linkages between sexual violence and issues such as the exploitation of mineral resources and internal displacement, for example, based, as they are, on specific country experiences, as the recent report of the Secretary General (S/2013/149) suggests. It is pertinent to mention in that regard that the report itself points to the presence of armed conflict as the consistent backdrop in all those situations. It is also critical that the mandates given by the Security Council be observed and that the report remain focused on the situations of armed conflict on the Council's agenda. The so-called situations of concern are not part of that mandate.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General, entitled “Sexual violence in conflict” (S/2013/149), which was been presented by his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlights several concerns emerging this year, including the perpetration of sexual violence against men and boys as a tactic of war or in the context of detention or interrogation, children born as a result of rape in wartime, and the practice of forced marriages by armed groups. It also draws attention to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the displacement of civilian populations, the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts, and the challenge of sexual violence being universally underreported for reasons that include the risk of reprisal.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We encourage the training of peacekeepers, both civilian and military and police, and the strengthening of the human rights component, particularly with regard to women's and children's human rights, as well as comprehensively addressing the various forms of violence against women, particularly sexual violence.

Country

France

Extracts

After the defeat of the armed groups in northern Mali, justice must follow its course for the victims of sexual violence. The matter has been referred to the ICC. Legal and psychological assistance will need to be provided to victims and survivors. With the assistance of the United Nations, the Malian authorities cannot choose to overlook the issue.

Country

France

Extracts

The Council can be assured of our commitment and determination in promoting and defending the rights of women and girls throughout the world, as well as in implementing resolutions on women, peace and security.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Women bear the brunt of wars and armed conflicts. Today, 90 per cent of the casualties in conflicts and wars are non-combatants, of whom 70 per cent are women and children. Moreover, women are left out of peacemaking, stabilization and reconstruction processes.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We support the Special Representative's call to strengthen national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to victims of sexual violence. Technical assistance may be provided, on request, to concerned States for reforming and rebuilding the judicial, legislative and electoral sectors, as well as for the economic, social and political empowerment of women.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Less than a week ago, I am pleased to say, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of Eight in London adopted a declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict, which explicitly seeks to carry forward resolution 1325 (2000) and its successors, and contributes to the normative framework of resolutions on children and armed conflict. That declaration rightly recalls once again that the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children are at the foundation of our fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia is dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms, both nationally and internationally. As a member of the Human Rights Council, Estonia's particular focus is on the rights of women and children, gender perspective in conflict settlement and the fight against impunity.

Country

Australia

Extracts

It is essential that survivors' needs be addressed, including through access to multisectoral services. Often, the vast majority of survivors are children, and services must be very specifically tailored to their needs. We must take specific steps to also address the risks faced by women's human rights defenders operating on the front lines, so as to ensure that they are able to carry out their work and do not themselves become victims of sexual violence.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Rape and conflict-related sexual violence have deep repercussions for victims, survivors and families. The psychological, social and economic effects increase the marginalization of those groups from society with regard to their access to social and medical services. The signing of peace agreements and ceasefires by parties to a conflict should lead to developing programmes that result in an immediate cessation of sexual violence. Addressing that phenomenon is a main peacebuilding pillar agreed to by the parties.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Thirdly, we need to pay more attention and care to victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Priority should be given to providing them with sustainable assistance, including medical, psychological, legal and other multisectoral services. Those services should be tailored to the specific needs of survivors. To that end, it is imperative to strengthen the capacities of the relevant national institutions and allocate adequate resources to the relevant programmes.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We have participated in several informative events conducted by agencies of the system and non-governmental organizations that work in areas of armed conflict. The stories they tell are frightening and reinforce the urgent need for victims and survivors of sexual violence to have access to medical services and HIV-related treatment and care. It is also necessary to address the difficult situations faced by survivors who have children and by the children born as a result of rape, who then become victims of stigma and social exclusion.

Country

Norway

Extracts

The Nordic countries warmly welcome the Secretary-General's call for emergency contraception and safe abortion to be included in the responses and services to survivors. The agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women also call for the provision of such life-saving services. Girls and women who have been raped during war should not be forced to continue unwanted pregnancies. For some victims of rape, undergoing a dangerous abortion is the only alternative to a life of shame, isolation and hardship, or even honour killings.

Country

Norway

Extracts

The rehabilitation of victims will not be possible unless they have access to comprehensive services. That includes access to health, justice and reparations. As long as survivors have little or nothing to gain from reporting sexual violence and coming forward, under- reporting will continue and impunity will prevail. Sexual violence, including threats of sexual violence, can have far-reaching effects, not only for those affected and their families but also for the wider communities and future prospects for peace and reconciliation.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

Also, the Association established the ASEAN Committee on Women, in 2002, and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, in 2009. All those bodies aim to uphold, promote, protect and ensure respect for and the fulfilment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children in the ASEAN area. In that context, ASEAN member States would like to underline the following.

Country

Vietnam

Extracts

First, the fundamental causes of sexual violence in armed conflict should be tackled at their root. A preventive mechanism that addresses the root causes of armed conflict should be implemented. ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which aims to promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation among its people, is a regional framework that we have put in place to that end. Such root causes should be addressed, inter alia, by promoting the rule of law, good governance, democracy, poverty eradication, sustainable development and respect for and the protection of human rights, as well as by providing multisectoral assistance and services for the specific needs of women and girls.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Fifthly, my delegation particularly supports certain recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General. On the one hand, it is necessary to increase pressure on the perpetrators of sexual violence related to conflict by adopting targeted measures against them via the various Sanctions Committees. On the other hand, we must make every effort to ensure that victims and survivors have access to all of the necessary multisectoral services and that compensation systems are set up and all means sought to effectively fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

With the aim of improving the overall situation of women victims of rape, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina is finalizing the drafting of the document entitled “Programme for the victims of rape, sexual abuse and torture in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013-2016”, which will seek to improve the position of all the victims. One of the goals of the programme emphasizes the obligation of the State to provide access to reparations programmes for victims of war and the need to provide legal and psychological support to victims and witnesses during and after court proceedings. The draft strategy on transitional justice has been prepared, and we are currently in the process of obtaining the opinions of all levels of Government in that respect.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Sexual violence in armed conflict represents one of the most serious forms of the violation or abuse of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The prevention of sexual violence in armed conflict is therefore both a matter of upholding universal human rights and of maintaining international peace and security, in keeping with the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Ending violations of women's human rights is a moral imperative and one we must collectively commit to if we are to achieve it. In that regard, Botswana strongly supports all efforts aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and children, including sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations. In conclusion, we remain optimistic that, given our collective will, especially in the Security Council, we can bring an end to such heinous crimes.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

Colombia supports the work of the Security Council, which complements the results achieved on the basis of various international agreements, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Those agreements and various forums and conferences recognize and promote the human rights of women. However, we deplore the fact that situations continue to occur in different parts of the world.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

The third issue — assisting victims — seems to receive less emphasis in the report. Indeed, in order to ensure that reprisals or retribution undertaken in the pursuit of justice do not become an end in themselves, it is necessary to keep the focus on reparation for victims. It is essential that victims be afforded every assistance,whereas, on the contrary, all too frequently victims of sexual assault become ostracized by their communities, especially those who report sexual violence or those who have become pregnant as a result of rape. Particularly disturbing in that context is the revictimization of a woman or girl who has been raped when she is forced to live with her aggressor as a so-called wife.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

First, we strongly welcome the fact that the Secretary-General expresses the need for the women and girls who have been victims of rape to have access to emergency contraception and safe abortion services. They should not be forced to continue a pregnancy as a result of a serious crime against them. All too often, they receive no reparation or any kind of support from their own communities or from the international community. At the same time, where women and girls who have decided to continue their pregnancies cannot look after their children, steps to protect the rights of those children, including providing for national adoption, must be taken.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Protecting and promoting the rights of the Afghan people has been the cornerstone of all our efforts to build a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Central to those efforts is enabling women to regain their historical role as proactive citizens in Afghan society. Afghanistan is pursuing the vigorous implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) through our national priority programme. We have also launched our national action plan for the women of Afghanistan as a 10-year blue print that contains specific and time-bound benchmarks for progress in various areas. As the implementation of the action plan continues apace, we are confident that we will realize our vision of seeing Afghan women thrive and be empowered in all sectors of society — the social, political and economic.

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

As members of the High Peace Council and as members of civil society, women play a central role in the peace process. The results of our peace and reconciliation efforts will in no way jeopardize the hard-won gains of the past 11 years, especially those relating to human rights, and to the rights of women in particular.

Country

India

Extracts

The promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls in armed conflict continue to pose a pressing challenge. There should be zero tolerance for gender-based violence and sexual violence. All cases of gender-based violence must be promptly investigated and its perpetrators prosecuted.

Country

Canada

Extracts

Canada supports the Special Representative's activities to ensure the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence and to ensure the health, security and dignity of survivors and their access to justice. Conflict-related sexual violence is of great concern to Canada. Canada places high priority on advancing women's full participation at all levels of society — a condition that is essential for maintaining the health, justice and prosperity of communities. Because of its devastating and enduring effects on the women and girls who are subjected to such crimes, as well as on their families and communities, rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict remain a huge barrier to peace, security and development.

Country

Canada

Extracts

In conclusion, allow me to reiterate that Canada is committed to working with the international community on preventing and responding to conflict- related sexual violence in all of its forms, including rape as a weapon of war and early and forced marriage, in order to advance human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including women and girls. We call on the Security Council to strengthen its response in that regard as well.

Country

China

Extracts

Respecting and protecting women's rights is not only a reflection of progress in human society and civilization, it is also closely linked to global peace and development. Women are vulnerable to becoming victims of all sorts of violence in situations of armed conflict. Not only is that a grave infringement upon women's rights, but it is also a challenge to the full resolution of conflicts and the rebuilding of society.

Country

China

Extracts

Thirdly, safeguarding women's rights and preventing and containing sexual violence in conflict require the full development of women. The international community cannot just pay attention to the phenomenon of sexual violence in conflict, demanding increased pressure and punishment and the establishment of monitoring mechanisms; it should also eliminate the sources of conflict, devote major attention to economic and social development, advance the status of women in real terms and make the empowerment of women a reality.

Country

Japan

Extracts

Japan condemns attacks on women's human rights defenders and emphasizes that Member States should take steps to ensure the protection of such defenders. We also recognize the importance of multisectoral services for victims of sexual violence. In that regard, our recent contribution addresses various needs of victims, including, for example, the establishment of relief and recovery systems for legal support and mental-health care in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

Let me conclude my statement with a word for the survivors of sexual violence. They are at the centre of our debates. Let us not forget them and the fact that, beyond bringing perpetrators to justice, the international community also needs to afford care and reparation to women and girls and men and boys that have been victims of sexual violence in conflict-related situations.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

Egypt also believes that it is of importance to address sexual violence issues in the early phases of peace processes, in mediation efforts and in ceasefire and peace agreements, particularly in provisions on security arrangements, transitional justice and reparations. Increased attention must be paid to the survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations as an integral part of States' obligations towards them, including by setting up mechanisms aimed at preventing the recurrence of such crimes and by providing them with all the services and assistance they need, including rehabilitation and reintegration support.

Country

Qatar

Extracts

With respect to enhancing the role of women, the State of Qatar has taken a special interest in the participation of women in the political field through many initiatives aimed at enabling women to play their full role in various areas, including the political and economic fields. Women have been appointed to important positions, including as ministers. The wife of the Amir of Qatar has supported educational, research and development programmes. The State of Qatar has adopted a preventive policy so as to protect human rights, in particular the rights of women. That was reflected in our 2013 plan, which states that women have a very important role to play in our society, particularly by participating in decision-making processes, especially in the economic and social fields.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We agree with the need for security-sector reform, which should include training in human rights, particularly the human rights of women and children, and take into account the need to prevent sexual violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

I think that remembering, truth, justice and reparation — I say that to you, Madam President, in particular — is the only way to put an end to impunity. Certainly, Rwanda, Argentina and all countries that have suffered extreme violence know that remembering is the basis for moving forward in order to prevent the repetition of such events today, tomorrow, yesterday and forever.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In conflict settings and, more specifically, those driven by genocide ideology, as my country experienced in 1994, rape and sexual assault are used to punish, humiliate and dehumanize victims, their families and communities. Far from being random acts of brutality, the systematic sexual victimization of women and girls in conflict settings is now well understood as a crime against humanity that demands the urgent attention of the world.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Just 19 years ago, Rwandan women were forced to endure inhuman and degrading atrocities. Many were raped and left for dead. Among those who survived, many were infected with incurable diseases; some were made pregnant; many suffered the humiliation of having been abused in front of their families. And yet, the women of Rwanda refused to be defined or defeated by their ordeals. They raised their heads, declining to become permanent victims or objects of pity. They sought justice. They demanded dignity. Inasmuch as Rwanda has been able to reconcile and recover from the events of 1994, it is because of that unshakeable spirit of defiance, found foremost among its women and girls.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Impunity breeds and rewards criminality and violence. Only by insisting on justice and by fighting impunity has Rwanda been able to achieve meaningful reconciliation within our borders. The eradication of sexual violence in conflict will not be possible as long as perpetrators are able to escape accountability for their actions. We have come to understand first- hand the importance of strengthening internal justice mechanisms and of building institutions that enhance the accessibility of justice. Rwanda therefore calls upon all Member States to enforce accountability, as well as to desist from harbouring the perpetrators of humanitarian and human rights violations, which shields them from the consequences of their crimes.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In response to the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women and Girls campaign, initiated in 2010, Rwanda hosted an international conference on the role of security organs in ending violence against women and girls. The conference endorsed a declaration and subsequently formed a secretariat to monitor its implementation. With a current membership of 16 countries and a permanent secretariat, based in Kigali, members have developed a standardized training manual to implement an all- Africa command post exercise, code-named Africa UNiTE.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In addition, Rwanda is the leading contributor from Africa of female police and correctional officers to United Nations peace support and peacekeeping missions. Among other duties, those officers actively contribute to combating and raising awareness about violence against women. They also serve as advisers on gender-based violence and share best practices with officers and local authorities. All our peacekeepers undergo specific training on respect for gender and human rights prior to deployment.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda urges all parties to armed conflict to enforce a clear prohibition on sexual violence, expressed through chains of command, via codes of conduct and military field manuals and in constant training. We further call upon those parties to ensure that alleged abuses are investigated swiftly and perpetrators held accountable.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda reminds civilian and military leaders with command responsibilities that they, too, are accountable for acts of sexual violence committed on their watch. Rwanda will, on a case-by-case basis, support the adoption or extension of targeted sanctions against persistent perpetrators of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda recommends that the problem of sexual violence be addressed directly as part of any post- conflict or peacebuilding process. That should include United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations and security sector reform processes or be part of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Whether through legislative reforms, awareness-raising campaigns and the training of police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates or the recruitment of more women to such positions, we must insist that national authorities take proactive steps to protect women and girls. Due consideration should also be given to the prosecution of sexual violence through transitional justice arrangements. In Rwanda, the destigmatization of sexual violence, which empowered victims and gave them a voice, was a central element of the post-genocide justice.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

That is important to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are able to begin the process of healing. Above all, we call upon all parties to conflict that are responsible for acts of sexual violence to cease such violations.

Country

France

Extracts

Finally, with regard to legal progress, the ad hoc tribunals created by the Council, and then the International Criminal Court (ICC), have included acts of sexual violence among the crimes within their jurisdiction. They have been recognized as war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

Country

France

Extracts

Despite that progress, we have no other choice but to deplore the scope and frequency of sexual violence in conflicts, which is continually being used as a weapon to terrorize civilian populations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in spite of the mobilization of the international community, sexual violence remains omnipresent. Committed by all parties, sexual violence is also perpetuated within the Congolese army, particularly because of shortcomings in the screening, selection and training processes for ex-militia integrated into the Congolese forces. The response to the Minova tragedy should stand as an example. The Congolese authorities must do more, and more quickly, to punish the guilty. They must also take a determined and convincing stand for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes and security sector reform programmes.

Country

France

Extracts

In Syria, the regime and its supporters are systematically using sexual violence to intimidate civilians and to get them to flee. Those crimes may be added to the long list of those committed by the Syrian armed forces against their own people. France believes that the referral of the matter to the ICC is amply justified.

Country

France

Extracts

After the defeat of the armed groups in northern Mali, justice must follow its course for the victims of sexual violence. The matter has been referred to the ICC. Legal and psychological assistance will need to be provided to victims and survivors. With the assistance of the United Nations, the Malian authorities cannot choose to overlook the issue.

Country

France

Extracts

With respect to sanctions, in order for victims to no longer be stigmatized for the crimes they have suffered, we must do away with impunity for sexual violence. National Governments have the primary responsibility to prosecute and punish perpetrators of such crimes. When States fail to uphold their responsibilities, the International Criminal Court should play its role in full. France welcomes the exemplary cooperation between the Court and the countries concerned that led to the transfer to The Hague of Mr. Bosco Ntganda.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The first issue relates to ending impunity, which is absolutely critical to ensuring both accountability and effective deterrence. That requires a multi-pronged approach: building national capacity to investigate and prosecute acts of sexual violence; further steps to ensure that international criminal justice deals with sexual violence in a more systematic and consistent manner; and further consideration of how the Security Council can act more effectively in applying targeted sanctions.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The six-point priority agenda of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a good way to address impunity, empower women to seek redress, strengthen the international political response and foster national ownership. Moreover, the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will meaningfully address the plight of women and will elevate their status to equal partners in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, post-conflict reconstruction, peace and security. Women should participate in recovery and peacebuilding, as well as transitional justice systems.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The Council has set a good example by sending strong signals that sexual and gender-based violence is unacceptable. We should give due credit to the Security Council for transforming the protection of women in armed conflict situations from a soft to a hard issue. Full compliance with international humanitarian law, an end to impunity, and accountability for the perpetrators of crimes against women, including in transitional justice mechanisms, are now widely accepted norms of international law.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Impunity cannot be the rule. In that regard, the United Nations must help States to establish appropriate cooperation mechanisms, particularly through bilateral or regional extradition agreements to deal with perpetrators. Effective mechanisms must also be put into place that take into account the needs of women who have been victims of sexual violence, who are often abandoned to their fate.

Country

Togo

Extracts

The international community, above all the United Nations, must become more involved on a legal level in the search for solutions to the problems raised by the commission of these horrific sexual crimes, particularly rape. That means that they must encourage recourse to national courts or international courts competent in that area to apprehend the perpetrators and thus fight against impunity. Unfortunately, in this area, the justice system itself has many problems for various reasons, including the fact that the judicial system is often slow and not independent. The international investigation commissions do not always have sufficient funds to adequately establish the facts. There is also a lack of cooperation between States and international jurisdictions with regard to the implementation of the international arrest warrants and other decisions.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Fourthly, we should promote cooperation between international jurisdictions and national courts in order to track down, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of violence in order to put an end to the culture of impunity.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The latest report of the Secretary-General to the Council (S/2013/149) reaffirms the pervasiveness of sexual violence and its interconnection with various aspects of the maintenance of peace and security. We note, in that regard, the attention drawn to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the forcible displacement of civilian populations and the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent, yet universally under-reported. That is, inter alia, the result of threats faced by those who come forward to report such crimes. We underline the need to take all measures necessary to protect survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers, medical personnel, human rights defenders and journalists who contribute to aiding survivors and collect information on sexual violence. The European Union's guidelines on human rights defenders devote particular attention to vulnerable human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders and those working on conflict issues.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent, yet universally under-reported. That is, inter alia, the result of threats faced by those who come forward to report such crimes. We underline the need to take all measures necessary to protect survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers, medical personnel, human rights defenders and journalists who contribute to aiding survivors and collect information on sexual violence. The European Union's guidelines on human rights defenders devote particular attention to vulnerable human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders and those working on conflict issues.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

We support the continued application of targeted and graduated measures by the relevant Security Council Sanctions Committees aimed at perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, as well as other measures at the Council's disposal, including referrals to the ICC, mandating commissions of inquiry and further steps towards ensuring systematic monitoring of commitments by parties to conflict under its resolution 1960 (2010).

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Once the perpetrators of sexual violence have been identified, the Council can and must, through the adoption of targeted measures, step up pressure on those responsible so that they are brought to justice before a competent court and judged. The Council should be able to draw on such an instrument systematically, in our view, following the practices established by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the inclusion on Sanctions Committee lists of those suspected of acts of sexual violence. Information provided by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General would be highly useful in that regard.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

It is under national jurisdictions that perpetrators should primarily be tried, and we must therefore support national Governments in their fight against impunity. Based on the principle of complementarity, international criminal justice still has an important role to play, and we very much welcome the efforts undertaken in that regard by the International Criminal Court.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

In that context, it is noteworthy that a second arrest warrant has been issued against General Bosco Ntaganda, incorporating the major accusations of crimes against humanity, rape and sexual slavery. Today, Bosco Ntaganda is in The Hague to be judged for his crimes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Member States that contributed to his transfer to the Court.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Every victory against impunity is a victory against sexual violence, for only the certainty that a crime will not go unpunished is a real deterrent. The fight against impunity is also the first step in reinstating the rights of victims. It is not the only step: it is also necessary to take measures such as granting compensation to repair, as far as possible, the consequences of the damage caused.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The fight against sexual violence must also be integrated into all security sector and justice reform processes worthy of the name. In that regard, Luxemburg has supported a number of workshops, including in South Sudan and Liberia, aimed at strengthening the contribution of United Nations peacekeeping operations to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In particular, they sought to ensure that women were better represented at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia is also very satisfied that the Arms Trade Treaty, recently adopted by the General Assembly, includes strong human rights and international humanitarian law criteria. In assessing the export of conventional arms, each country has to take into account the risk of those arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children. We believe that the effective implementation of the Treaty will make a difference in the world. We urge States to apply the relevant articles that are provisionally pending prior to the Treaty's entry into force.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

There is a wide range of tools available for preventing crimes of sexual violence, as well as for holding perpetrators accountable. The use of targeted sanctions by the Security Council, with a focus on specific individuals or entities suspected of bearing the greatest responsibility for such crimes, is an important aspect of deterrence. We welcome the fact that the Council has expanded its designation criteria to explicitly address sexual and gender-based violence. We look forward to the consistent application of that tool.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia would welcome having all the Security Council Sanctions Committees consider focusing on crimes of sexual violence. In that context, it might be necessary to harmonize designation criteria for listed individuals and entities by including any relevant charges from the international justice mechanisms and, importantly, from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Country

Estonia

Extracts

The International Criminal Court itself has a unique role in setting a new tone in the fight against impunity for sexual and gender-based violence. The Rome Statute of the ICC prohibits an unprecedented number of gender crimes, including rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization and other forms of sexual violence as war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Allow me to note that Estonia confirms its commitment to ending impunity and fighting sexual violence through its financial contributions in the field as well. In 2013, Estonia contributed financially to a UNICEF project in the Central African Republic for the prevention and response to gender-based violence. Also this year, Estonia will be contributing financially to the activities of the Office of the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and to the ICC Trust Fund for Victims.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Ending impunity is critical to driving change. As a deterrent, it is a critical part of a prevention strategy. We must make the best use of the tools at the Council's disposal to target perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, whether individuals, armed groups or States, and whether they commit, command or condone violations. Under many Sanctions Committees, persistent perpetrators fit within existing listing criteria, and we support the more rigorous application of those. We also support the inclusion of such criteria where the situation demands it.

Country

Australia

Extracts

At the national and international levels, criminal justice mechanisms must develop dedicated sexual violence expertise to ensure that crimes are effectively prosecuted, survivors get the support they need, and perpetrators are convicted. In that context, we would like to single out and welcome the United Kingdom's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, its efforts through the Group of Eight and the exemplary focus and resourcing that the United Kingdom itself has brought to the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Security sector reform, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, are essential to rebuilding communities. Measures against sexual violence must be integral to them. Too often, perpetrators of sexual violence are themselves allowed to assume positions of power in post-conflict settings. We must strengthen efforts to ensure appropriate levels of preventive vetting.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Committing to combating impunity, implementing cooperation programmes with the judiciary to try perpetrators, and providing reparations to victims of sexual violence constitute the necessary safeguards to ensure that such crimes will not recur. Commitments in that regard must be implemented on the ground; that is a fundamental element in preventing the crimes.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

In many countries, developing codes of conduct for security and police forces is very important to providing comprehensive protection from sexual violence. In that connection, I wish to acknowledge the efforts made by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict while taking into consideration factors related to national expertise and experience, with a view to reforming the judiciary and facilitating access to it for victims.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

First, we would like to underline the significance of the fight against impunity. We can never expect to eradicate sexual violence without ensuring that those responsible are systematically brought to justice. We strongly support the Secretary-General's recommendation in his report that the Council employ all the means at its disposal to address sexual violence in conflict, including referrals to the International Criminal Court and mandating international commissions of inquiry.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Ensuring accountability at the national level is equally important. However, it is regrettable that the lack of adequate national capacity to investigate and prosecute sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability for such crimes. In that regard, my delegation would like to commend the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009). We further encourage the Team to focus its efforts on strengthening institutional safeguards against impunity at the national level.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

My delegation also believes that the adoption of targeted measures by the relevant Sanctions Committees against perpetrators of sexual violence crimes is another crucial means at the Council's disposal. It serves as a strong deterrent to conflict-related sexual violence by raising the stakes for perpetrators. We welcome the fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Committee imposed measures on those responsible for committing sexual violence last year. My delegation would like to encourage other Sanctions Committees to similarly focus on sexual violence crimes.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

In that regard, we support the Secretary-General's recommendation to ensure that reparations awarded through judicial or administrative mechanisms be established and made available to victims of sexual violence in conflict. It is particularly important that post-conflict reconstruction processes strengthen overall systems for reparation, including the provision of adequate and timely resources.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

In Somalia, our collective efforts over the past months have freed Luul Ali Osman and those who have dared to speak out in support of her cause. Last week, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, speaking to military cadets in Mogadishu, declared that security forces who raped citizens of Somalia would be fought and defeated like any enemy of the State. I commend the President and his Government for their resolve to address the problem. We anticipate that a joint communiqué outlining a framework of cooperation to address sexual violence will be adopted in early May, when the international community convenes for the Somalia conference to be held in London.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

It is imperative that all parties to armed conflict strictly abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Azerbaijan reiterates its strong condemnation of all acts of sexual violence in conflict. There can be no tolerance for such acts, and all the necessary measures must be taken to bring perpetrators to justice and put an end to impunity.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

As the Secretary-General noted in his report, national courts remain the principal venue for holding individuals accountable for crimes of sexual violence. At the same time, the lack of adequate national capacity and expertise to investigate and prosecute acts of sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

We note, in that regard, the efforts of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009), aimed at strengthening the capacity of national rule-of-law and justice actors.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

The Secretary-General also noted in his report that “The focus of international criminal justice and mixed tribunals on combating acts of sexual violence, including rape, in the context of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, represents an important complement to national efforts.” (S/2013/149, para. 112). Indeed, where national authorities fail to take action, the international community should play a more proactive role in ensuring an appropriate response.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

The establishment of rules with respect to gross violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including sexual violence in conflict, and the provision of adequate and effective reparations are measures that aim, inter alia, to repair or reduce the immediate and long-term harm experienced by victims of such violations. It is therefore important to ensure that reparations are established through judicial or administrative mechanisms and made available to victims.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Furthermore, past wrongs left unpunished or unrecognized often impede progress in achieving long-awaited peace and reconciliation and can even play a key role in the eruption of new conflicts and the commission of new crimes.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Today, I would like to draw attention to the need for greater emphasis on prevention, including at the communal level and within the UN system for engaging parties to conflict to address sexual violence and for integrating sexual violence prevention and response efforts into security and justice sector reform.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

For UN missions, better prevention involves equipping peacekeepers and civilian staff with the guidance and expertise to respond to early information about threats of large-scale abuses. The training modules designed by the United Nations are a positive step in that direction, as is the creation of the UN International Network of Female Police Peacekeepers, which links over a thousand UN female police officers around the world to share best practices as well as advocate and mentor female police.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

But the spectrum of action for countering sexual violence must not be limited to the conflict and its conclusion. It must be prioritized throughout peace processes, including in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration phase and in security sector reform. Rigorous vetting should ensure that perpetrators and those who have directed sexual violence are denied entry to the security sector. There should be strong protection mechanisms for civilians in close proximity of cantonment sites. The best way to ensure these protections is for women themselves to participate meaningfully in SSR and DDR program design and implementation and to have more women working and leading in the security sector. It is clear that female survivors of sexual violence are more likely to report to a female police officer or a women's police station, as our experience in Haiti has borne out. And women's civil society organizations need greater capacity to monitor, inform, and provide security services in conjunction with law enforcement authorities.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

We must also build reformed national justice sectors and local institutions that can hold accountable those responsible for sexual violence while international criminal justice mechanisms continue to play their important role in ending impunity for these crimes. In last week's Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, the G8 reaffirmed that rape and other forms of serious sexual violence in armed conflict are war crimes and emphasized the need to promote justice and accountability for such crimes.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

These issues are hardly theoretical. The scourge of sexual violence persists. We are alarmed by horrific abuses occurring in Syria, including against men and boys, and we reaffirm that those responsible for violations of international law and human rights will be held accountable. The United States continues to support the documenting of evidence of atrocities committed by all sides for use in future Syrian-led transitional justice and accountability processes. Beyond Syria, the United States has proven its commitment to prevent and address gender-based violence around the world, providing more than $100 million in 2012 to these efforts.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Prevention is always the best remedy. It involves, in the first place, strengthening national capacities, addressing the needs of States in terms of institution-building, training personnel, supporting victims and promoting the rule of law. Developing national awareness-raising activities and information campaigns to break taboos and misperceptions around the issue is also important.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

That preventive role requires resources compatible with the magnitude of the tasks involved. Brazil has taken some meaningful steps. We have signed a letter of intent with UN-Women to deepen our cooperation regarding the training of peacekeepers on gender issues and the promotion of South-South cooperation on gender issues involving peacekeeping training centres in Latin America and Africa. Furthermore, Brazil has been involved in cooperation activities with a number of countries emerging from conflict in areas related to sexual violence. The Brazilian Cooperation Agency has, for instance, been working with the United Nations Population Fund in Haiti and Guinea-Bissau to build institutional capacity to deal with victims of gender- based violence in areas such as health, justice and security.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

As an important element in efforts to achieve justice, the fight against impunity is essential as a means to put an end to sexual violence in conflict. It acts as a deterrent for perpetrators and contributes to righting the wrongs done to victims. Brazil appreciates the work that Ms. Bangura's Office carries out in support of the strengthening of national capacities aimed at bringing perpetrators to justice. The Security Council can assist in fighting impunity by addressing such violence in its subsidiary bodies as appropriate. More discussion is needed, however, on the idea of adopting targeted and gradual measures in contexts where no sanctions regimes are in place, as that could amount to applying restrictive measures in situations that have not been determined by the Security Council to constitute threats to international peace and security.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We recognize the importance of mediators and envoys in mediation, ceasefire, peace and preventive diplomacy processes engaging with the parties to a conflict in dialogue on sexual violence, and for such violence to be addressed in peace agreements. We agree with the recommendation of the Secretary- General that sexual violence should be included among prohibited acts and reflected as specific provisions in peace agreements related to security arrangements and transitional justice. It should be recalled, in that regard, that the Organization has developed guidelines for mediators on how to address sexual violence in armed conflicts. Those should be included in the training and orientation of teams that negotiate ceasefires and peace agreements.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

It is also worth mentioning the critical role of women's civil society organizations in supporting the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding. That was precisely the approach taken in the presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/23) adopted under our presidency of the Security Council in October 2012. In that statement, as part of the fight against impunity for perpetrators of sexual and gender- based crimes, the Council categorically condemned all violations of international law committed against women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

In that regard, we are encouraged by the important change in how sexual violence is being dealt with by the International Criminal Court, in particular with respect to the charges against Bosco Ntaganda of crimes against humanity, rape, sexual slavery and war crimes. The same could be said about the prosecution of Jean-Pierre Bemba. Both cases set a precedent concerning the principle of officers' responsibility for sexual violence as a war crime and crime against humanity. That constitutes an important complement to the work of national courts and mixed tribunals in the fight against deeply rooted discriminatory practices that are embedded in a culture of impunity.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

In addition, it helps us to combat the perception that it is useless to denounce the crimes of sexual violence and contributes to the strengthening of the administration of justice, whether civil or military, by holding perpetrators accountable before the law. Moreover, it also helps to realize specific commitments on prohibiting sexual violence committed by senior- ranking officials of armed forces and armed groups, and promotes the adoption of codes of conduct that prohibit sexual violence.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We believe that another step in the right direction is the judgment in the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. Although he was not charged with crimes of sexual slavery and rape, the judgment against him includes specific guidance on the reparations to be made to the victims of sexual violence, thus making possible specific reparation for the immediate and long-term harm experienced by the victims. That act of international justice affords hope, dignity and compensation to the victims and enforces accountability for the perpetrators.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

What I have referred to leads us to conclude that the annex to the report of the Secretary-General, which lists the parties and individuals credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence during conflict and post-conflict situations, is useful, and that we must increase the pressure on those responsible for those acts and, when appropriate, submit their names to the relevant committees.

Country

Italy

Extracts

International justice has placed a welcome emphasis on combating sexual violence as a complement to national efforts, in particular under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Comprehensive justice strategies are essential, including accountability and reparation, following a victim-centered approach. The Security Council should also contribute to ensuring that there no safe havens for the perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflict.

Country

Italy

Extracts

In March, the Commission on the Status of Women approved agreed conclusions with a strong condemnation of all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence. The Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly just this month, obliges States parties to take into account the risk of conventional arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender- based violence. The Group of Eight made a strong commitment to addressing impunity and preventing sexual violence in conflict. Italy has always supported all such commitments, which must now be followed by concrete actions.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

The report also refers to two highly problematic trends that were noticed by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, namely, the occurrence of sexual violence during house searches and at checkpoints and the perpetration of rape and torture in the context of detention. We call on all parties to cease such violations and any other sexual-violence-related violations and, in accordance with resolution 1960 (2010), to make specific and time-bound protection commitments in that regard. We also call upon the members of the Security Council to consider using all the other means at its disposal to address sexual violence in conflict, including making referrals to the International Criminal Court and other relevant actions.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

All the necessary steps, including targeted measures, must be taken to protect individuals, hold perpetrators accountable and provide remedy for victims. It is essential that amnesty provisions not be applicable to crimes of sexual violence in the context of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. Ending impunity for perpetrators and those responsible in chains of command is also imperative, including personnel within the United Nations. At the same time, the Network believes that we have to place equal importance on addressing the root causes and the enablers of sexual violence in conflict, as well as on strengthening grass-roots women's organizations and additional networks that can provide assistance to victims of sexual violence in conflict. Only when those victims are treated with dignity and respect and given the necessary tools, treatment and care to enable them to protect themselves can they become real agents of change.

Country

Slovenia

Extracts

In that regard, the Network believes that applying a more people- or victim-centred lens to the issue would help. Moreover, we support the availability of reparations as a form of transitional gender justice. Reparations can deliver redress and acknowledgement of crimes suffered, and can contribute to the fight against impunity and to post-conflict reconstruction and the reintegration of survivors of sexual violence.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

Impunity of that nature is a great challenge to our collective resolve. It is in clear contempt of the values we have committed to uphold. We must do more at national, regional and international levels to end impunity, by demonstrating to perpetrators that such crimes will not go unpunished.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

Perpetrators of sexual-based violence must be prosecuted and tried by competent national courts or tribunals. Where that is not feasible — as is often the case in conflict and most post-conflict situations — the States concerned should be willing to surrender suspects to international criminal courts and tribunals to face trial.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

The international criminal justice system, despite its shortcomings, has had its merits, including offering an elaboration of sexual violence as capable of constituting a crime against humanity, a war crime and an act of genocide. The indictment of leaders of armed groups by the International Criminal Court (ICC) — such as those of Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda, Sylvestre Mudacumura and others — is a step towards ending impunity, however moderate it is.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

While prosecution is critical in ending impunity, we must also continue to address its root causes. We must resolve conflicts by reconciling warring parties and encouraging dialogue, rather than by employing military solutions. If necessary, negative forces must be neutralized, demobilized and reintegrated into society.

Country

Tanzania

Extracts

We must do more to empower women and girls to participate in peace and security processes, as well as decision-making roles in conflict prevention and conflict resolution. We are encouraged by the increasing number of female military and police peacekeepers. The United Republic of Tanzania contributes more than 200 such courageous women to such missions. It is our goal to contribute more in the future, in the spirit of resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

Chile

Extracts

We agree with the Secretary-General when he states in his report that national tribunals continue to bear the primary responsibilty for the fight against impunity for cases of sexual violence and are an important complement to the efforts of the International Criminal Court, fundamentally in terms of restoring victims' dignity and holding perpetrators legally accountable.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Security threats against women are often dismissed as belonging to the private sphere or are written off as cultural issues. But let us be clear, conflict-related sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, and, in the most extreme cases, an act of genocide. We must respond with the same sense of urgency as we do to other threats against peace and security. We must recognize the need for the participation of both women and men in preventing and solving conflict and, not least, in building sustainable peace.

Country

Norway

Extracts

As long as the permanent members of the Security Council remain divided, gross human rights violations are allowed to continue with impunity. In his report, the Secretary-General makes a number of important recommendations to the Security Council on combating impunity. In that connection, the Nordic countries urge Council members, first, to include the women and peace and security agenda in all the relevant Council resolutions and mandates and to put the issue on the agenda of visits to missions.

Country

Norway

Extracts

Thirdly, we call on the Security Council to continue to combat impunity for crimes of sexual violence and to use its unique power to increase the pressure through targeted sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence.

Country

Norway

Extracts

The rehabilitation of victims will not be possible unless they have access to comprehensive services. That includes access to health, justice and reparations. As long as survivors have little or nothing to gain from reporting sexual violence and coming forward, under- reporting will continue and impunity will prevail. Sexual violence, including threats of sexual violence, can have far-reaching effects, not only for those affected and their families but also for the wider communities and future prospects for peace and reconciliation.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

Justice for the victims of serious violations of international human rights law is an essential requirement for the sustainable peace, security and development of States emerging from armed conflict, where the rule of law must enjoy primacy and be scrupulously upheld. Therefore, my delegation supports efforts by the Council to continue fighting impunity for the most serious crimes committed against women and children through the work of the International Criminal Court, ad hoc and mixed tribunals and specialized chambers in national tribunals.

Country

Southern Africa

Extracts

We recognize the importance of women's access to justice in conflict and post-conflict settings, including through gender-responsive legal, judicial and security sector reform and other mechanisms. In that regard, my delegation appreciates the commendable work undertaken by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. However, we believe that significantly more needs to be done by all the relevant actors in supporting countries to increase women's participation, leadership and expertise in transitional justice, as well as in advancing accountability measures for serious offences committed against women and children.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Combating sexual violence in conflict requires the adoption of measures for the prevention, protection and prosecution of the perpetrators. In all those areas, the victims' cooperation is essential. However, as the Secretary-General's report points out, the lack of adequate information and fear of reporting for cultural and social reasons, which tend to increase in times of conflict, are serious obstacles to such collaboration. We must therefore, to the greatest extent possible, reinforce mechanisms designed to help victims, raise awareness about their surroundings and strengthen the capacity of national courts.

Country

Spain

Extracts

Spain also shares the conclusions of the report regarding the role of the International Criminal Court. While the primary responsibility for the trial of suspects for acts of sexual violence lies with national courts, the Court plays a crucial complementary role at the international level.

Country

Spain

Extracts

As I already mentioned, Spain fully supports the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General, but would like to highlight those that relate to the need to define a mechanism to monitor the obligations of parties to conflict as set forth in resolution 1960 (2010) — including the possibility of referring cases to the International Criminal Court — and in particular to those pertaining to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes and security sector reform. I also wish to stress the importance of the role of the International Criminal Court, as acknowledged in the recent conclusions agreed to in the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

The United Kingdom is deeply committed to addressing sexual violence in conflict, which is one of the most persistent and neglected injustices in the world today. Last week, the Group of Eight (G-8) Foreign Ministers, under the presidency of the United Kingdom, agreed a historic declaration on preventing sexual violence in conflict. They pledged to work together and with others in a concerted and comprehensive campaign to address that crime. The G-8 declared for the first time that rape and serious sexual violence in conflict were grave breaches of the Geneva Convention, as well as being war crimes. That decision recognizes our responsibility to actively search for, prosecute or hand over for trial anyone accused of those crimes, regardless of nationality, wherever they are in the world.

Country

United Kingdom

Extracts

Secondly, we recognize that a focus on the difficult issues surrounding security sector and justice reform is critical: providing training for national security forces; ensuring the principles of no amnesty for perpetrators of grave human rights violations, including sexual violence; and ensuring that the security sector is accessible and responsive to all. In the justice sector, work to train the police, magistrates and judges and more training for female lawyers will result in more effective investigations and prosecutions. That is also very welcome.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

My country has always been a strong advocate of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, and will, of course, remain so. In his report, the Secretary-General clearly highlights how sexual violence persists in many societies as a common practice that is often invisible and too rarely prosecuted.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

First, my delegation stresses the need to ensure that the countries concerned themselves take ownership of and lead the fight against sexual violence. National courts must, in our view, remain the main place where people are charged with sexual-violence crimes. We should of course support those courts in pursuing the fight against impunity. Concerning crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, international criminal justice mechanisms are an important complement to national efforts. In that context, we believe it is appropriate to apply the definition of sexual violence in the broadest sense laid out in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Country

Belgium

Extracts

Fifthly, my delegation particularly supports certain recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General. On the one hand, it is necessary to increase pressure on the perpetrators of sexual violence related to conflict by adopting targeted measures against them via the various Sanctions Committees. On the other hand, we must make every effort to ensure that victims and survivors have access to all of the necessary multisectoral services and that compensation systems are set up and all means sought to effectively fight against sexual violence in conflict.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Conflict and post-conflict situations are often marked by violence and the deprivation of rights. In armed conflicts, sexual violence represents one of the most serious forms of violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The lack of progress on the issue of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict, in particular against women and girls, remains of great concern for us. We condemn all forms of crimes against women and girls, and we emphasize the importance of bringing those responsible for such crimes to justice. All parties to armed conflict need to take appropriate measures to protect civilians, especially women and children, from all forms of sexual violence. It is essential to ensure that all reports of sexual violence committed by civilians or by military personnel be thoroughly investigated and the alleged perpetrators brought to justice.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

With the aim of improving the overall situation of women victims of rape, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina is finalizing the drafting of the document entitled “Programme for the victims of rape, sexual abuse and torture in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013-2016”, which will seek to improve the position of all the victims. One of the goals of the programme emphasizes the obligation of the State to provide access to reparations programmes for victims of war and the need to provide legal and psychological support to victims and witnesses during and after court proceedings. The draft strategy on transitional justice has been prepared, and we are currently in the process of obtaining the opinions of all levels of Government in that respect.

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Extracts

Finally, we would like to point out that the international community has taken noteworthy steps, including the adoption of the relevant resolutions, to tackle the issue of sexual violence. But more importantly, the time has come to start converting commitments and promises into real actions on the ground to prevent violence, protect individuals, punish perpetrators and provide redress to victims. Bosnia and Herzegovina stands ready to contribute to those efforts.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Sexual violence in armed conflict represents one of the most serious forms of the violation or abuse of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The prevention of sexual violence in armed conflict is therefore both a matter of upholding universal human rights and of maintaining international peace and security, in keeping with the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Despite the international community's repeated condemnation of sexual violence in armed conflict, we remain deeply concerned about the fact that such acts continue to occur and in some situations have even become systematic and widespread. Impunity for sexual violence by armed groups is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. In that regard, my delegation wishes to stress the urgency and importance of demonstrating commitment and political will through efforts to prevent sexual violence and enforce accountability by prosecuting those responsible for perpetrating crimes against civilians. We therefore call on the Security Council to continue its efforts to fight impunity and uphold accountability. Through its relevant Sanctions Committees, the Council should also consider the possible effectiveness of existing sanctions regimes on parties named in the report.

Country

Botswana

Extracts

Botswana strongly supports the involvement of women in peace negotiations, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. We are also supportive of calls for addressing concerns about sexual violence in mediation and peace processes, particularly in the context of security arrangements and transitional justice mechanisms. However, we believe that such efforts should take into consideration the needs and rights of women and children. I also wish to emphasize the importance of enhancing efforts to eliminate obstacles to women's access to justice, as well as of assisting States in conflict and post-conflict situations in their efforts to address sexual violence.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

We are surprised that some examples of the situation in Colombia mentioned in the report do not include sufficient information on the incidents that took place. While for Colombia it is critical to fight all forms of sexual violence against women, children and young people, we underscore that it is of great concern that the report speaks generically about increasing the pressure on perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, including the individuals, parties and States named in the reports.

Country

Colombia

Extracts

With regard to the justice sector and the armed forces, as the report indicates, Colombia has adopted a zero-tolerance policy. It is supplemented by a manual and protocol that serve as a guide for members of the armed forces in addressing sexual violence that may occur as a result of armed conflict. That document is widely disseminated among members of the armed forces.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

After the end of the civil war, El Salvador lived through two decades in which gender policies and attention to human rights violations were not high on the Government's agenda. To be honest, little, if anything, was done to ensure access to justice by victims and to fight impunity, and even less to establish measures that would lead to reparations for victims.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

Parallel to those efforts, the Salvadoran Government has strongly promoted a campaign against gender-based violence and sexual violence in general on different fronts. We have strengthened legislation with the approval of the comprehensive special act on violence-free lives for women. The entry into force of that new piece of legislation has been fundamental in enabling the State to exercise its responsibilities in defending, protecting and guaranteeing the rights of women.

Country

El Salvador

Extracts

The Government of El Salvador is thus strongly committed to combating impunity and to providing access to redress for victims, as can be seen on a daily basis in the Ciudad Mujer programme. For that reason, it is important that the international community follow that process in El Salvador and that political support and cooperation be provided, so that, in the short term, the positive results of the current compensation policies can be seen on a large scale.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

Secondly, with respect to the notion of criminal responsibility, the report is at pains to address the duty to prosecute those culpable for the commission of crimes of sexual violence. In that regard, my

delegation expresses the importance of adopting and implementing action plans and legislation aimed at protecting victims from violence and holding perpetrators accountable. In cases where the Security
Council is called upon to intervene, appropriate measures should be taken to reaffirm the outright interdiction of those crimes and the criminal liability of those responsible for their commission. It is
imperative that the work of monitoring and prosecuting crimes of sexual violence be characterized by justice and equity and not political interests, which could undermine noble motivations and efforts to
combat such crimes.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Indonesia wishes to highlight some of the main challenges in our efforts to eliminate and further prevent violence against women, including sexual violence: first, insufficient gender-sensitive policies; secondly, inadequate implementation of legal and policy frameworks; thirdly, inadequate data collection, analysis and research; fourthly, the lack of financial and human resources and insufficient allocation of such resources; and, fifthly, the lack of comprehensive, consistent, sustained, transparent and adequately monitored and evaluated efforts.

Country

Indonesia

Extracts

Those gaps have yet to be bridged by States as the bearers of the primary responsibility in addressing the issue of violence against women and its impact, in order to translate commitments into practical approaches and actions on the ground, to fashion more compassionate responses for victims, to pursue more aggressive prosecutions of perpetrators and to create more secure communities and environments.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

That leads me to my second point, on reparations. They can have a transformative effect and should be an integral part of post-conflict transition initiatives. As UN-Women explained in a recent document, reparations are the most victim-centred transitional justice measures. In that connection, we are obliged to think beyond the traditional approach. Humanitarian aid, peacebuilding and development must be effectively linked in order to achieve a real impact, namely, the empowerment of women.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

Thirdly, and finally, Switzerland heeds the Secretary-General's call for the recruitment of women's protection advisers as members of United Nations assessment teams. We draw attention to the Justice Rapid Response initiative. It is an intergovernmental support mechanism that can provide the international community and the Security Council with rapidly deployable expertise. In cooperation with UN- Women and the Institute for International Criminal Investigations, the initiative has set up a roster of sexual and gender-based violence experts from various backgrounds. Switzerland is one of the countries that initiated the Justice Rapid Response initiative, which can contribute to the implementation of obligations arising from resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010).

Country

Afghanistan

Extracts

Afghanistan is fully committed to preventing all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence. In that regard, in 2009, we enacted a law on the elimination of violence against women, which provided for stronger judicial means to combat violence. Throughout the country, perpetrators of such crimes are increasingly being held accountable where such crimes are committed, with their cases being prosecuted before the law.

Country

India

Extracts

The promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls in armed conflict continue to pose a pressing challenge. There should be zero tolerance for gender-based violence and sexual violence. All cases of gender-based violence must be promptly investigated and its perpetrators prosecuted.

Country

India

Extracts

While United Nations peacekeeping missions have provided critical support for gender-related issues in countries emerging from armed conflict, we agree with the report's assertion that it is equally important to pay adequate attention to security-sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, so as to avoid the risk of relapse. There is also a need for an increased deployment of female military and police personnel in United Nations peacekeeping operations and for appropriate training to enable United Nations peacekeepers to effectively discharge their responsibilities. India stands ready to place more female formed units at the disposal of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for deployment as required.

Country

Extracts

Country

Syria

Extracts

My country has examined the Secretary-General's report on sexual violence in armed conflict (S/2013/149) and the information it contains, submitted by the Special Representative. We support all efforts aimed at putting an end to all forms of the crime of sexual violence in conflict, ending impunity and punishing perpetrators and those who incite such violence. However, we also call for extreme care and objectivity in addressing this grave humanitarian issue, which has reached serious levels in more than one place. Perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to justice, whether for crimes committed in the jails of Abu Ghraib in Iraq or in any other place.

Country

Canada

Extracts

Canada supports the Special Representative's activities to ensure the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence and to ensure the health, security and dignity of survivors and their access to justice. Conflict-related sexual violence is of great concern to Canada. Canada places high priority on advancing women's full participation at all levels of society — a condition that is essential for maintaining the health, justice and prosperity of communities. Because of its devastating and enduring effects on the women and girls who are subjected to such crimes, as well as on their families and communities, rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict remain a huge barrier to peace, security and development.

Country

China

Extracts

China condemns all violence against women in armed conflict, including sexual violence. China supports the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Council and urges parties in conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and other relevant international law to effectively protect the safety of women and other disadvantaged groups. I would like to emphasize three points.

Country

Germany

Extracts

First, we welcome the work of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and hope it will continue to work closely with other United Nations mechanisms to guarantee the best possible concerted actions in the fight against sexual violence. We also welcome the dedicated work of Special Representative Bangura and the fact that she was able to brief the Council several times in the past months, including on the situations in Syria and the Central African Republic. However, the Council should make more use of the information received and do more to act and hold perpetrators accountable. It could, for example, release corresponding press statements, write specific letters to the Governments concerned and more often refer specific cases to the Sanctions Committees and, as a last resort, to the International Criminal Court.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Thirdly, in security sector reform and in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, more focus should be given to the needs of women and girls, not only as victims but also with a view to their active participation in reintegration processes. In peace agreements, sexual violence shall figure in one important provision: those who have previously committed or condoned sexual violence should be excluded from amnesty provisions and should not be allowed to serve in the relevant official functions.

Country

Germany

Extracts

Fourthly, Member States and regional organizations can also do more. Sexual violence shall under no circumstances be socially accepted. It is of paramount importance to criminalize sexual violence by law, hold perpetrators accountable and provide assistance services and reparations for survivors. In that regard, we welcome the recent press statement by the African Union Peace and Security Council and its call for the development of new strategies to fight sexual violence in conflict. Also, we are confident that the recent commitments made in the Group of Eight context to address impunity for sexual violence in conflict will have a significant impact.

Country

Japan

Extracts

As was pointed out in the Secretary-General's report, addressing sexual violence in the context of security sector reform processes is of key importance. Over the past five years, Japan has provided $900 million to help support the Afghanistan National Police, part of which has been used for employing and training female police officers. So far, more than 1,400 female police officers have been hired. And in Africa, for example, Japan has been supporting capacity-building and training for Somalia's security officers in the areas of sexual and gender-based violence and the abuse and exploitation of children.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

All of the information contained in the report is relevant for the Security Council in terms of its Charter-mandated responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The information that has already been collected by the reporting mechanism will make it possible for the Council to have access to “timely, objective, accurate and reliable information” on sexual violence in conflict. With such information, the Council will also be able to take further steps. That should be understood as a clear message to perpetrators of sexual violence that the Council is ready to apply sanctions or to use all other means at its disposal, including referrals to the International Criminal Court, against perpetrators that have been identified as having committed sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

The Council needs to be consistent in its decisions and reinforce the message that impunity is simply not acceptable, sexual violence is simply not tolerable and there can be no genuine security without women's security.

Country

Portugal

Extracts

Let me conclude my statement with a word for the survivors of sexual violence. They are at the centre of our debates. Let us not forget them and the fact that, beyond bringing perpetrators to justice, the international community also needs to afford care and reparation to women and girls and men and boys that have been victims of sexual violence in conflict-related situations.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

The Solomon Islands Police Force has a new look, thanks to special outreach efforts to women in terms of recruitment. Today, the acting head of our Police Force is a woman, a first for Solomon Islands. It is a small step, but an important one. Even more, it is fulfilling one of the six goals of UN-Women, that is,k strengthening the leadership of women in peace and security.

Country

Solomon Is.

Extracts

The elimination of gender-based violence is a shared responsibility. We are tackling the issues, working with all stakeholders to address the issue of rape and sexual violence with a strong campaign to prevent it, protect victims and deal with perpetrators. Solomon Islands has institutionalized Government- wide structures to deal with the issue nationally, working with all the relevant stakeholders. We have in place a national steering committee to monitor the progress in the implementation of the policy, which reports to the national task force.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General, entitled “Sexual violence in conflict” (S/2013/149), which was been presented by his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlights several concerns emerging this year, including the perpetration of sexual violence against men and boys as a tactic of war or in the context of detention or interrogation, children born as a result of rape in wartime, and the practice of forced marriages by armed groups. It also draws attention to the nexus between sexual violence and the illicit extraction of natural resources, the displacement of civilian populations, the inadequacy of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform efforts, and the challenge of sexual violence being universally underreported for reasons that include the risk of reprisal.

Country

Egypt

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict represents one of the most serious forms of violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Such violations cause a lifetime of pain that cannot be healed. In that regard, Egypt stresses the importance of implementing policies of zero-tolerance for sexual violence, ensuring that all perpetrators be held accountable, whether they be the ones who committed, ordered or condoned such crimes, and that all perpetrators be pursued by any and all possible means. Despite the Security Council's unique ability to impose targeted sanctions on perpetrators as an important part of deterrence, Egypt emphasizes the importance of adopting preventive measures to address the spread of sexual violence in conflict as a priority. There is an urgent need to support the Member States concerned in preventing sexual violence, in ensuring zero tolerance for it and in prosecuting its perpetrators.

Country

Fiji

Extracts

Fiji is committed to the elimination of sexual violence and to working both domestically and with the international community to do so. At the national level, Fiji's Ministry of Women has revived the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Elimination of Violence against Women to coordinate policy responses across all Government agencies. It is working with the Fiji police force to implement the law introduced in the last few years that, among other things, introduced marital rape as a specific offence under the criminal code, and also introduced a child-welfare code requiring teachers, doctors and other professionals to report suspected child-abuse cases. The Ministry also champions a campaign on zero tolerance of violence against women and children, which operates at the community level in partnership with community leaders, the police force and non-governmental organizations.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda recommends that the problem of sexual violence be addressed directly as part of any post- conflict or peacebuilding process. That should include United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations and security sector reform processes or be part of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Whether through legislative reforms, awareness-raising campaigns and the training of police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates or the recruitment of more women to such positions, we must insist that national authorities take proactive steps to protect women and girls. Due consideration should also be given to the prosecution of sexual violence through transitional justice arrangements. In Rwanda, the destigmatization of sexual violence, which empowered victims and gave them a voice, was a central element of the post-genocide justice.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

We also agree with the Secretary-General's conclusions in his 2010 report on women's participation in peacebuilding (S/2010/466) that their participation is not only a matter of women's and girls' rights but of their status as core partners in strengthening the three pillars of durable peace, namely, economic recovery, social cohesion and political legitimacy.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Supporting women's leadership and participation is essential to addressing, responding to, and indeed ending sexual violence. Women are powerful agents of change, and we must harness that capacity by promoting their far greater participation in conflict resolution and post-conflict transitions.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Furthermore, sexual violence in conflict threatens social stability and hampers national reconciliation and the unity of a society in the post-conflict stage. We have a long way to go, but that should not dissuade the international community from tackling this scourge on all levels and with all the means available.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

In that regard, we support the Secretary-General's recommendation to ensure that reparations awarded through judicial or administrative mechanisms be established and made available to victims of sexual violence in conflict. It is particularly important that post-conflict reconstruction processes strengthen overall systems for reparation, including the provision of adequate and timely resources.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

Women were included on the list of candidates for the presidential election. The participation of women in the public sector has increased significantly. In the Parliament, the rate is 28 per cent; in the private sector, 54 per cent; and in terms of economic production, 87.8 per cent. The Justice Department includes 80 women judges, and there are 50 women diplomats, including ambassadors and heads of missions to other countries. Women can join the security and armed forces and have reached grades as high as brigadier. They participate fully in the private sector and have made great strides in the public sector.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

It is also worth mentioning the critical role of women's civil society organizations in supporting the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding. That was precisely the approach taken in the presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/23) adopted under our presidency of the Security Council in October 2012. In that statement, as part of the fight against impunity for perpetrators of sexual and gender- based crimes, the Council categorically condemned all violations of international law committed against women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Spain

Extracts

In the open debate on women, peace and security held last fall at the Security Council (see S/PV.6877), we referred to the numerous initiatives that Spain had been leading in its foreign policy, development cooperation and defence policy with a view to achieving two goals — first, to promote the role of women in peacebuilding in conflict and post-conflict situations, and, secondly, to eliminate sexual violence in conflicts, including the outrageous practice of using systematic rape as a war tactic.

Speaker

Holy See

Extracts

My delegation commends those efforts and is convinced that there is ample room for the greater involvement of women, especially in the prevention of war, in the reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of societies in post-war situations, and in avoiding relapses into armed conflict. Women can and should play greater roles as allies of peace.

Country

Switzerland

Extracts

That leads me to my second point, on reparations. They can have a transformative effect and should be an integral part of post-conflict transition initiatives. As UN-Women explained in a recent document, reparations are the most victim-centred transitional justice measures. In that connection, we are obliged to think beyond the traditional approach. Humanitarian aid, peacebuilding and development must be effectively linked in order to achieve a real impact, namely, the empowerment of women.

Country

China

Extracts

Respecting and protecting women's rights is not only a reflection of progress in human society and civilization, it is also closely linked to global peace and development. Women are vulnerable to becoming victims of all sorts of violence in situations of armed conflict. Not only is that a grave infringement upon women's rights, but it is also a challenge to the full resolution of conflicts and the rebuilding of society.

Country

China

Extracts

Secondly, the United Nations should play its unique role fully and enhance cooperation and coordination with other relevant bodies. The Security Council, as the primary body tasked with maintaining peace and security, should focus on conflict prevention, dispute mediation and post-conf lict peacebuilding, so as to create political, security and legal environments conducive to eliminating sexual violence. The General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council and UN-Women should coordinate their efforts and cooperate closely with the Security Council to foster synergy.

Country

Russia

Extracts

Combating sexual violence is also an important component of the range of measures needed in peace processes and post-conflict restoration. This type of crime is not a root cause of armed conflict, but rather a result of prevailing impunity. We believe that crimes committed require mandatory punishment, whether they be acts of sexual violence, terrorism or indiscriminate or disproportionate force. After all, the victims of all such acts are totally innocent people.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the work of the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. We commend Ms. Bangura for her efforts since taking up her responsibilities, including the services provided by the United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. We fully support the recommendations contained in the report.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We note that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has introduced a robust policy on women refugees, has prepared action guidelines for the protection of women refugees and will continue to include the gender dimension in its assistance and protection work.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

However, UN-Women recently announced that, of the 585 peace agreements signed between 1990 and 2010, only 16 per cent mentioned women. Seventeen per cent refer to gender equality, and only 3 per cent make any reference at all to gender-based sexual violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

That is why we agree with the idea that all peacekeeping mandates should explicitly include the gender perspective in the protection of civilians and incorporate specific guidelines on preventing, eradicating and punishing all forms of violence against women, with a focus on human rights, as well as a full and multidimensional understanding of that scourge. We also support the idea of a special adviser for all peacekeeping missions in the area of human rights for women and gender and ensuring the resources necessary to effectively implement the Council's resolutions and incorporate follow-up mechanisms for the analysis and presentation of reports on violence against women, particularly sexual violence. The impact of conflicts on women is not only determined by the nature or level of the conflict, but also by the particular role of each women.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We encourage the training of peacekeepers, both civilian and military and police, and the strengthening of the human rights component, particularly with regard to women's and children's human rights, as well as comprehensively addressing the various forms of violence against women, particularly sexual violence.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

Allow me to refer to work that has been carried out in my country, known as “Cracks in the Silence”, by the women's organization CLADEM, which has investigated sexual violence against women during the period of State terrorism in my country. The investigation helped to reveal the sexual crimes committed during that cruel and painful period. It showed that those crimes had been broadly suppressed and made invisible; not only because seeking justice for individual crimes of sexual violence as individual cases and crimes against humanity — they are not like crimes of torture or abuse — was a difficult and complex process, but because it was also necessary to confront and overcome enormous cultural, political and institutional obstacles in determining the criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the crimes and reparations for the victims.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

In that context, the recommendations issued by the Human Rights Committee to Argentina on bringing the crimes of the recent dictatorship to trial covered gender-based crimes as well. The Committee noted that the State party should continue to make rigorous efforts to prosecute those cases in order to guarantee that serious human rights violations, including those crimes that deprived women of their right to liberty and a life free of violence, not go unpunished.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

We can also cite, in that connection, the recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women with regard to proactive measures to publicize trials and punishment for sexual violence perpetrated during dictatorships or conflicts.

Country

Argentina

Extracts

One can say, without exaggeration, that, during times of conflict, very few women have been able to chronicle the sexual violence of which they were victims. That was clearly seen when the International Criminal Tribunal for your country, Madam President, pointed out in the Akayesu case, that cultural sensitivities have a bearing on the discussion of intimate matters. That case, which related to sexuality, revealed the pain, the reticence and the inability of the women concerned to reveal details of sexual violence of which they had been victims.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

We hope that the Secretary-General's report will enhance the coordination and effectiveness of the global response to the problem of sexual violence. Besides addressing specific challenges facing women and girls in conflict zones, such an approach must incorporate broader peace and security imperatives. Critically, we envisage that it will lead to more effective monitoring of the commitments made by Member States to prevent sexual violence, where possible, and to address its consequences, where necessary.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Let me touch on the experience of my country with the intent to offer hope to women victimized by conflict. My country's strong stand on violence against women emanates from the high value it places on women and girls, as well as our national resolution to never again see the cruelty directed to Rwandan women during the 1994 genocide. On a national level and beyond our borders, we take this issue extremely seriously.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Impunity breeds and rewards criminality and violence. Only by insisting on justice and by fighting impunity has Rwanda been able to achieve meaningful reconciliation within our borders. The eradication of sexual violence in conflict will not be possible as long as perpetrators are able to escape accountability for their actions. We have come to understand first- hand the importance of strengthening internal justice mechanisms and of building institutions that enhance the accessibility of justice. Rwanda therefore calls upon all Member States to enforce accountability, as well as to desist from harbouring the perpetrators of humanitarian and human rights violations, which shields them from the consequences of their crimes.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda has adopted a range of policies to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and I will touch on only some of those in a moment. First, however, it is important to stress that, as we recoiled from the horrors visited upon our women, the Government and people of Rwanda have worked assiduously to instil a culture of respect within the military and the police force, among boys and girls in the classroom and within families and communities. That has prompted a profound shift in attitude among Rwandans of all ages and walks of life.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

In response to the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women and Girls campaign, initiated in 2010, Rwanda hosted an international conference on the role of security organs in ending violence against women and girls. The conference endorsed a declaration and subsequently formed a secretariat to monitor its implementation. With a current membership of 16 countries and a permanent secretariat, based in Kigali, members have developed a standardized training manual to implement an all- Africa command post exercise, code-named Africa UNiTE.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Time does not permit me to outline all the initiatives undertaken by my Government, but I note that Rwanda adopted a national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000) in 2010 and is a party to the Kampala Declaration of the First Ladies on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence of the 2011 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

Rwanda supports calls to include provisions in all peacekeeping mandates that specifically address the prevention of and response to sexual violence. That should include, where appropriate, the identification of women's protection advisers, as the Secretary-General urged earlier in his statement, alongside gender advisers and human rights protection units.

Country

Rwanda

Extracts

I cannot end without calling upon the international community, non-governmental organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations and other non-State actors operating in affected areas to support the genuine reporting and investigation of sexual crimes.

Country

France

Extracts

Sexual violence has been a part of all wars in history but, as the Group of Eight recalled in its ministerial statement of 11 April, it has long been seen as an unimportant and secondary issue that does not merit the international community's attention. Sexual violence was never taken into account in the context of conflict resolution or after conflicts. In adopting resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), the Security Council resisted that fate. It took up the issue and broke the silence that hung over that abominable crime.

Country

France

Extracts

Since then, significant progress has been made — political progress, first and foremost, thanks to the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. I welcome her commitment, which has made it possible to increase the international visibility of the issue.

Country

France

Extracts

Finally, with regard to legal progress, the ad hoc tribunals created by the Council, and then the International Criminal Court (ICC), have included acts of sexual violence among the crimes within their jurisdiction. They have been recognized as war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

Country

France

Extracts

France also welcomes the zero-tolerance policy for United Nations personnel implemented by the Secretary-General, a policy that should be tirelessly pursued. Similarly, we support the Secretary- General's due diligence policy, his policy of screening peacekeeping and political mission staff with regard to respect for human rights, as well as his policy on restricting contact with persons being sought by the ICC. The Secretary-General has thereby confirmed his commitment to the accountability of the Organization.

Country

France

Extracts

Protection is first. On the ground, women's protection advisers are bringing greater awareness of sexual violence issues to the daily work of the Blue Helmets. Their role is crucial, and France hopes that their deployment within peacekeeping missions and political missions will be expanded. Above all, when they have the mandate to do so, missions should provide the resources necessary to help the work of these advisers.

Country

France

Extracts

With respect to sanctions, in order for victims to no longer be stigmatized for the crimes they have suffered, we must do away with impunity for sexual violence. National Governments have the primary responsibility to prosecute and punish perpetrators of such crimes. When States fail to uphold their responsibilities, the International Criminal Court should play its role in full. France welcomes the exemplary cooperation between the Court and the countries concerned that led to the transfer to The Hague of Mr. Bosco Ntganda.

Country

France

Extracts

France, within the framework of its national action plan for implementing resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security, is financing anti-violence programmes in six countries in Africa and the Arab world being implemented by UN-Women. The staff we are sending abroad from our country are trained in issues of sexual violence, and we support the integration of gender issues in peacekeeping schools in Africa.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Conflict-related sexual violence is an issue that, in recent years, has continued to rise on the international agenda. Such attention has been driven by several factors, including the sustained leadership shown by the Council; the work of the Secretary-General and the authoritative and passionate voice of his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict; and the efforts of Member States and those of civil society organizations, which do so much to amplify the voices of marginalized women and men.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Last week's forthright Group of Eight declaration is clear evidence of how high-profile the issue has become. I would like to commend the United Kingdom on the leadership that it has demonstrated with its Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. We look forward to that momentum being maintained with a further Security Council debate in June.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The steps already taken by the Security Council in relation to targeted sanctions are welcome and significant, but there is more to be done. As the non-profit organization Security Council Report identified in its recent cross-cutting report, political caution in the Council has precluded a more ambitious use of sanctions in the women, peace and security context. To achieve more traction and to deliver more results, the Council needs to be more consistent and comprehensive in its approach.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

One of the core recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report is that all the Security Council Sanctions Committees include a focus on crimes of sexual violence and that the Council expand its institutional capacity so as to develop ways to apply sanctions where no such committees are in place. Ireland strongly endorses that recommendation, and we hope at our next open debate, in June, to hear of progress being made towards its fulfillment.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

The second issue concerns the deployment of women's protection advisers. One particular innovation that has made a real difference and has had a catalytic impact on the ground is the deployment of more women's protection advisers to missions. I reiterate the call by the Group of Friends for the necessary and specific budgetary resources to be identified to ensure that women's protection advisers are deployed where they are needed in all the relevant Security Council- mandated missions.

Country

Ireland

Extracts

Finally, let me briefly update the Council on developments in Ireland. We are currently undertaking an independent review of our resolution 1325 (2000) national action plan and, in the interests of transparency and sharing lessons learned, we intend to make public the main lessons identified as part of that process. I would also like to note that the Irish Defence Forces are breaking new ground in producing their own resolution 1325 (2000) action plan so as to ensure that the objectives for which they bear responsibility are delivered.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We welcome Special Representative Zainab Hawa Bangura's exhaustive briefing today. We pay tribute to her for her solid work and for the passion with which she pursues her mission. We appreciate the presence and testimony of the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. Civil society has a crucial role in protecting the rights of women in conflict situations.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The United Nations does much to deal with the protection of women in situations of armed conflict. We all know that that is not enough. Much more needs to be done. It is imperative to continue to mainstream the gender perspective into peacekeeping operations. As the largest troop-contributing country, we can testify to the fact that the appointment of gender advisers in the field has served a useful purpose. That practice must be strengthened. We are proud of our women peacekeepers, who have served as police officers, doctors and nurses in peacekeeping operations in Asia, Africa and the Balkans. We have made gender sensitization a mandatory part of the training of our peacekeepers.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Over the years, the Security Council has paid close attention to the cause of protecting the human rights of vulnerable groups in situations of armed conflict. The issue of women and peace and security has been integrated into the Council's country-specific resolutions. That increased emphasis has resulted in a normative framework that is reflected in a series of resolutions on women and children, as well as the creation of the posts of special representatives of the Secretary-General to deal with the issues of children and sexual violence. The Secretary-General has reflected those concerns in various reports. Over time, communication among the field offices, the Secretariat and the Council has also improved.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

Such mechanisms and measures have provided relief and justice to the affected populations, but it is a long haul. In that context, we support Special Representative Bangura's call to all parties to conflicts to immediately put an end to violence against women and make specific, time-bound commitments to ensure the non-recurrence of such acts, under the appropriate monitoring mechanisms.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The six-point priority agenda of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a good way to address impunity, empower women to seek redress, strengthen the international political response and foster national ownership. Moreover, the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) will meaningfully address the plight of women and will elevate their status to equal partners in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, post-conflict reconstruction, peace and security. Women should participate in recovery and peacebuilding, as well as transitional justice systems.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The Council has set a good example by sending strong signals that sexual and gender-based violence is unacceptable. We should give due credit to the Security Council for transforming the protection of women in armed conflict situations from a soft to a hard issue. Full compliance with international humanitarian law, an end to impunity, and accountability for the perpetrators of crimes against women, including in transitional justice mechanisms, are now widely accepted norms of international law.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

In order to give more credence to its actions, the Council must be ready to take targeted and graduated measures, through the relevant Sanctions Committees, against perpetrators of sexual violence. We endorse the Secretary-General's recommendation of applying specific sanctions against parties to armed conflict that use sexual violence as a tactic of war.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We believe that the Member States concerned bear the primary legal and moral responsibility for preventing and addressing sexual violence. We urge the Special Representative to continue to work closely with Member States and regional organizations to ensure that such concerns are addressed.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

The continued appointment of trained gender and women protection advisers and the provision of multisectoral assistance and services for victims have proved beneficial. Adequate resources must be allocated for that purpose.

Country

Pakistan

Extracts

We support the Special Representative's call to strengthen national institutions in order to provide sustainable assistance to victims of sexual violence. Technical assistance may be provided, on request, to concerned States for reforming and rebuilding the judicial, legislative and electoral sectors, as well as for the economic, social and political empowerment of women.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Finally — and this is not an exhaustive list — the early-warning mechanisms established in peacekeeping operations show that they are limited in their ability to effectively protect women and girls in times of armed conflict. For all of those reasons, it is important that the measures already undertaken by the United Nations be strengthened in order to ensure respect for all the relevant instruments and resolutions through, among other things, the firm commitment on the part of States to shoulder their responsibilities and deal with those involved in serious violations of human rights.

Country

Togo

Extracts

It appears to us, then, that one of the reasons has to do with the fact that the parties to the conflict do not respect their obligations under the relevant international legal instruments in the area of humanitarian law and human rights in times of armed conflict, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their 1977 Protocol. It has also been seen that States parties to a number of conventions, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its optional protocol and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocol, lack the political will to implement the relevant provisions. Moreover, a number of Security Council resolutions and presidential statements are not being applied by States, especially not by the belligerents. They are simply ignored by the parties involved despite the fact that they have full responsibility to implement them.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Impunity cannot be the rule. In that regard, the United Nations must help States to establish appropriate cooperation mechanisms, particularly through bilateral or regional extradition agreements to deal with perpetrators. Effective mechanisms must also be put into place that take into account the needs of women who have been victims of sexual violence, who are often abandoned to their fate.

Country

Togo

Extracts

The international community, above all the United Nations, must become more involved on a legal level in the search for solutions to the problems raised by the commission of these horrific sexual crimes, particularly rape. That means that they must encourage recourse to national courts or international courts competent in that area to apprehend the perpetrators and thus fight against impunity. Unfortunately, in this area, the justice system itself has many problems for various reasons, including the fact that the judicial system is often slow and not independent. The international investigation commissions do not always have sufficient funds to adequately establish the facts. There is also a lack of cooperation between States and international jurisdictions with regard to the implementation of the international arrest warrants and other decisions.

Country

Togo

Extracts

Despite all of those difficulties and obstacles, we can say that courageous action has been carried out by the United Nations, particularly by UN-Women, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and a number of international and non-governmental organizations. Togo commends all of those efforts undertaken to fight against this scourge and welcomes the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report (S/2013/149).

Country

Togo

Extracts

The report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/149) and the statements made today make clear that, over the past three and a half years, effective action has been taken by the United Nations to prevent and address the scourge of sexual violence in conflict. We also note with satisfaction the activities and initiatives undertaken by UN-Women, including through the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, to which Turkey is a contributor.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

Sexual violence in conflict remains prevalent, yet universally under-reported. That is, inter alia, the result of threats faced by those who come forward to report such crimes. We underline the need to take all measures necessary to protect survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers, medical personnel, human rights defenders and journalists who contribute to aiding survivors and collect information on sexual violence. The European Union's guidelines on human rights defenders devote particular attention to vulnerable human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders and those working on conflict issues.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

We support the continued application of targeted and graduated measures by the relevant Security Council Sanctions Committees aimed at perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, as well as other measures at the Council's disposal, including referrals to the ICC, mandating commissions of inquiry and further steps towards ensuring systematic monitoring of commitments by parties to conflict under its resolution 1960 (2010).

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

We welcome the report (S/2012/732) of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Council's resolutions on women and peace and security and the recommendations contained therein. We note positively the further establishment of the monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence. We also welcome the continued and systematic deployment of women's protection advisers. The European Union supports the swift deployment of human rights observers in Mali by the African Union and the United Nations and provides financial support for the deployment of independent human rights observers. The European Union training mission in Mali will include training on gender and human rights.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union continues to implement its dedicated policy on women, peace and security adopted in 2008. The European Union support to various initiatives related to women, peace and security amounts to approximately €200 million a year. The European Union is envisaging increased funding for prevention and response efforts, such as programming to combat gender-based violence, including sexual violence, from the first phase of conflict and in humanitarian emergencies.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union now has gender advisors and/or human rights focal points in each of its crisis management missions and operations throughout the world. We continue our work on specific training modules on human rights and gender in crisis management, while ensuring a focus on sexual violence in armed conflicts. We continue to work closely with UN-Women and support initiatives to ensure greater participation by women in peacebuilding and post- conflict planning.

Speaker

European Union

Extracts

The European Union and its member States highly appreciate the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, including its coordination with other international entities such as Justice Rapid Response and the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, as well as the recent commitments of the Group of Eight to do more to address impunity for sexual violence in conflict, including the endorsement of the development of an international protocol on the investigation and documentation of sexual violence in conflict. We continue to support its efforts, as well as those of the United Nations system, Member States and all actors involved in preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The Council's actions set an example, and its responsibility in this area is essential. That is clear in the explicit references to the agenda on women and peace and security in the agreed conclusions recently adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women, whose main theme, as I recall, was the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

The Council must be fully informed before acting, which is why it is so important to establish follow-up, analysis and information-exchange mechanisms within peacekeeping operations and political missions and to provide for the deployment of sufficient numbers of women protection advisers, who have a crucial role to play in the coordination of the implementation of Security Council resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence. Luxemburg will remain committed to ensuring that future mandates, as well as the renewal of existing mandates, take into consideration this important aspect. As the Secretary-General underscored this morning, it is important to constantly incorporate that aspect into mission planning and budgeting.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

Once the perpetrators of sexual violence have been identified, the Council can and must, through the adoption of targeted measures, step up pressure on those responsible so that they are brought to justice before a competent court and judged. The Council should be able to draw on such an instrument systematically, in our view, following the practices established by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the inclusion on Sanctions Committee lists of those suspected of acts of sexual violence. Information provided by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General would be highly useful in that regard.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

It is under national jurisdictions that perpetrators should primarily be tried, and we must therefore support national Governments in their fight against impunity. Based on the principle of complementarity, international criminal justice still has an important role to play, and we very much welcome the efforts undertaken in that regard by the International Criminal Court.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

In that context, it is noteworthy that a second arrest warrant has been issued against General Bosco Ntaganda, incorporating the major accusations of crimes against humanity, rape and sexual slavery. Today, Bosco Ntaganda is in The Hague to be judged for his crimes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Member States that contributed to his transfer to the Court.

Country

Luxembourg

Extracts

In conclusion, we hope that today's debate, the Special Representative's briefings to the Council on specific situations, such as that on Syria tomorrow, as well as the discussions the Council will hold over the coming months on this topic will enable real results to be achieved. In terms of follow-up, it would be particularly worthwhile to establish, as proposed by the Secretary-General, a system that would better enable us to monitor the fulfilment of commitments undertaken to fight sexual violence by the parties to a conflict in implementation of resolution 1960 (2010).

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Estonia is proud of having been a sponsor of resolution 1820 (2008), on women and peace and security, wherein for the first time in a Security Council resolution sexual violence was recognized as a tactic of war and where it is noted that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide. We welcome the numerous steps taken in this field within the framework of the United Nations and commend, among other things, the work of UN-Women and the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

Concerning the latest developments in the United Nations, we welcome the adoption of the agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in which the Commission urged States to strongly condemn violence against women and girls committed in armed conflict and post-conflict situations and called for effective measures of accountability and redress, as well as effective remedies.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

We share the assessment of Special Representative that fostering national ownership, leadership and responsibility in addressing sexual violence are some of the most important aspects in the fight against sexual violence. It is essential that local communities consider sexual violence as a crime. Regrettably, as noted in the report, often, as a consequence of being raped in conflict, there are reports of coerced marriages of survivors to either the perpetrator or their family members. It is certain, as the report also notes, that compelling rape survivors to marry the perpetrators re-victimizes them. That results in impunity for perpetrators and sends the message that sexual violence is socially acceptable.

Country

Estonia

Extracts

In our view, the next important step for the United Nations would be to further implement monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements on conflict- related sexual violence. We would also urge the further deployment of female protection advisers to Security Council-mandated missions. We must support the non-governmental organizations working in the field and protection for women's human rights defenders. It should also be noted that the overall goal of achieving women's empowerment and participation in society is inextricably linked to the fight against gender-based violence.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

Importantly, it is worth recalling that the efforts of the women of Bougainville in pushing for peace during the conflict, which culminated in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, attest to and confirm the notion that women are agents of change, including in peace and security. Fortunately, there is growing recognition of that fact, but, as always, more needs to be done to maintain the momentum.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

At the regional level, the launch of the 2012-2015 Pacific Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, in 2012, has provided a strong framework from which national and regional actions can be better and more effectively developed and coordinated. The Action Plan was developed jointly by representatives of the member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum, representatives of the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific and, importantly, civil society organizations. In essence, the Action Plan replicates the basic, but important, tenets of resolution 1325 (2000) as elaborated by the United Nations.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

In that regard, we acknowledge the leadership of Ms. Bachelet and the work of UN-Women in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, as reflected in her attendance at our Pacific Leaders' Summit — to represent the Secretary-General — held in the Cooks Islands last year. Such proactive participation has yielded positive dividends, which include the increasing involvement of women as partners in consolidating peace and security in our region.

Country

Papua New Guinea

Extracts

An exemplary group that I wish to acknowledge here is the Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency, which is based in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, as well as the FemLINKPACIFIC organization based in Fiji, along with many other women's committees whose collective membership contributes to that important work. At the end of the day, their respective collective contributions will enhance the work we must all continue to do to consolidate the vision of resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

Australia

Extracts

We also agree with the Secretary-General's recommendation that sexual violence should be included in the definition of acts prohibited under ceasefires agreements, and support the introduction of a systematic procedure to monitor parties' compliance with their commitments.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Security sector reform, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, are essential to rebuilding communities. Measures against sexual violence must be integral to them. Too often, perpetrators of sexual violence are themselves allowed to assume positions of power in post-conflict settings. We must strengthen efforts to ensure appropriate levels of preventive vetting.

Country

Australia

Extracts

Action to address sexual violence in conflict cannot occur without adequate and predictable resourcing. Priority should be given to ensuring that key actors, including national institutions, United Nations agencies and civil society groups, have the resources and capacity needed to tackle such issues, ranging from prevention and service provision for survivors to longer-term measures to end impunity. My own Government announced last year an additional $320 million for activities in our own immediate region to focus on those kinds of needs.

Country

Australia

Extracts

In conclusion, sexual violence touches upon the full breadth of the Council's work. While success is very obviously difficult to achieve, it requires of us vigilant and consistent commitment if we are ever to end this devastating, immoral and criminal practice.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

The Kingdom of Morocco commends the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, particularly in the area of fostering and preserving the progress that has been made, as well as for affirming the shared responsibility of society for combating sexual violence. By the same token, we commend the United Nations initiative on combating sexual violence so as to help those working in peacekeeping operations, as well as to create partnerships between the United Nations and interested parties for strengthening national competence and skills in order to help curb sexual violence committed by parties to a conflict and to protect and support survivors. Implementing such partnerships, and the provision of adequate resources for their effective use, will contribute to achieving these humanitarian goals. By the same token, we would also like to emphasize the importance of taking into consideration the various views and standpoints, and of consulting with the relevant States concerning the establishment of early detection mechanisms for preventing sexual violence.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to the implementation of reporting and oversight mechanisms — and in accordance with resolution 1960 (2010), as mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General — we hope that such measures will serve as the basis for evidence-based actions. Such measures should be objective and meticulous in monitoring sexual violence in conflict and should be carried out in an atmosphere of complete objectivity and independence. They should also primarily relate to Security Council resolutions, aim at supporting international efforts to protect women and girls in conflict and underscore the importance of preventing such crimes.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

With regard to prevention, the report of the Secretary-General states that the establishment of refugee camps near conflict areas and the difficulty of gaining access to them, in addition to the lack of registration records for refugees, impede efforts to safeguard refugees and to alleviate their daily suffering.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

In many countries, developing codes of conduct for security and police forces is very important to providing comprehensive protection from sexual violence. In that connection, I wish to acknowledge the efforts made by the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict while taking into consideration factors related to national expertise and experience, with a view to reforming the judiciary and facilitating access to it for victims.

Country

Morocco

Extracts

Achieving the desired objectives in curbing sexual violence requires the involvement of all parties and the efforts of public authorities, national human rights organizations and every component of civil society, including women's associations, so as to mobilize the necessary efforts to put an end to that scourge. To that end, there must be sufficient technical support and financing from donors.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

The Security Council has achieved significant progress in combating conflict-related sexual violence over the past few years, including by adopting resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010). While those documents reaffirm our strong commitment to ending sexual violence in conflict, this egregious crime remains a daunting challenge for the international community in many new and ongoing armed conflicts.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Ensuring accountability at the national level is equally important. However, it is regrettable that the lack of adequate national capacity to investigate and prosecute sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability for such crimes. In that regard, my delegation would like to commend the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009). We further encourage the Team to focus its efforts on strengthening institutional safeguards against impunity at the national level.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

My delegation also believes that the adoption of targeted measures by the relevant Sanctions Committees against perpetrators of sexual violence crimes is another crucial means at the Council's disposal. It serves as a strong deterrent to conflict-related sexual violence by raising the stakes for perpetrators. We welcome the fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Committee imposed measures on those responsible for committing sexual violence last year. My delegation would like to encourage other Sanctions Committees to similarly focus on sexual violence crimes.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

The list of parties that are credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflicts, contained in the Secretary-General's report, could be a good basis for such action by the Council.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

To that end, the Korean Government is also working on a draft national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), with the involvement of all the relevant ministries and in close consultation with civil society. The plan is expected to include measures to combat conflict-related sexual violence and to provide assistance to the victims and survivors of sexual violence in conflicts.

Country

S. Korea

Extracts

Before concluding, my delegation would like to commend the tremendous efforts of Special Representative Bangura and her exemplary dedication to the fight against conflict-related sexual violence. We extend our full support for her mandate. The Republic of Korea will continue to be committed to implementing all resolutions to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence in cooperation with the international community.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

As the Council is aware, I also visited the Central African Republic in December 2012. Like all of us around this table, I am distressed by the subsequent outbreaks of conflict that have shredded the Libreville Peace Agreement, costing lives and resulting in sexual violence, child recruitment and other grave human rights violations. A number of commitments were made by the parties during my visit, which were expressed in two communiqués. We must send a clear message to the Séléka coalition and all the parties to the conflict that they are expected to uphold the commitments made. They must immediately identify and release all forcibly recruited children and women from their ranks. They also have to issue and implement clear orders prohibiting sexual violence and investigate all allegations, so as to hold perpetrators to account.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I also intend to take up invitations by the authorities in Syria, Mali and South Sudan to visit as soon as possible. Conducting country visits will continue to be a key aspect of the mandate. Through such visits, we can bear witness to the plight of survivors and carry their voices to those in power. They are intended to open space locally for dialogue and action on sexual violence. They serve as a means to engage parties to conflict to make tangible protection commitments. They aim to foster international cooperation on the implementation of such mandates. The gravitas of the Council and the mandate established by the Council to address sexual violence in conflict open doors at the highest levels. We will continue to rely on the Security Council to support such an engagement-based approach.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

In Somalia, our collective efforts over the past months have freed Luul Ali Osman and those who have dared to speak out in support of her cause. Last week, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, speaking to military cadets in Mogadishu, declared that security forces who raped citizens of Somalia would be fought and defeated like any enemy of the State. I commend the President and his Government for their resolve to address the problem. We anticipate that a joint communiqué outlining a framework of cooperation to address sexual violence will be adopted in early May, when the international community convenes for the Somalia conference to be held in London.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

The fact that preventing sexual violence will be one of the central issues discussed at that conference is an important commitment in itself. It signals that the issue does not remain on the margins of the discourse on peace consolidation in Somalia. Addressing sexual violence is an essential prerequisite for durable peace and development. I urge international donors to match their strong political commitment with the necessary financial resources, particularly for the provision of services to survivors on the ground. If we are to break that evil in Somalia and elsewhere, the level of financial commitment must meet the level of political commitment.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

The Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also committed to establishing a parliamentary working group on sexual violence, and the Senate and the National Assembly will hold a special session on the issue. The communiqué presents an opportunity for renewed action on sexual violence prevention and the response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Together we must hold the President to his commitments. At the same time, we must support him and his Government — technically and financially — so that they can deal decisively with the problem.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I also wish to draw the attention of the Council to the visit to Colombia by my predecessor, Margot Wallström, shortly before she left office. During her visit, the Vice-President, speaking on behalf of the Government, expressed openness to the idea of developing what he referred to as a “framework of cooperation” that outlined key technical areas in which the United Nations and the Government might enhance cooperation to address sexual violence in conflict. The multifaceted response of the Colombian authorities to sexual violence in conflict carries important lessons for our global response. The key challenge in Colombia remains implementation, and it is my intention to follow up on Ms. Wallström's visit and to offer the technical support of the United Nations, including the Team of Experts, which have already conducted a follow-up visit. In the meantime, I urge the Colombian authorities to ensure that sexual violence considerations are explicitly reflected in the ongoing peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

I am pleased today to announce a joint communiqué of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations to strengthen cooperation in a number of critical areas, signed by the Prime Minister at the end of my visit. It reflects the firm commitment that was made to me by President Kabila Kabange to more effectively prosecute crimes of sexual violence.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

Let us therefore make the commitment around this table today that, in situations where sexual violence is a concern, there will never again be a peace agreement, ceasefire agreement or ceasefire verification mechanism that does not explicitly address sexual violence. That includes the agreements that must eventually be concluded in Mali and Syria to bring an end to those conflicts.

Speaker

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Extracts

We have an opportunity, unlike at any time in history, to break the back of this age-old evil. We must believe that sexual violence in conflict is not inevitable. To eradicate it is not a “mission impossible”, but will require political leadership and political courage, matched by bold protection initiatives on the ground. It is our hope, therefore, that, on the basis of the Secretary-General's report and his recommendations, the Security Council will once again show its resolve and unity of purpose and adopt in June a new resolution on sexual violence in conflict — one focused on accountability and prevention so as to further consolidate and institutionalize the sexual violence response in the context of the United Nations peace and security architecture and Council mandates. May this be a decisive moment — our moment to put an end to the crime that is a blight on our collective humanity.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Azerbaijan welcomes the increasing attention being paid by the Security Council and the wider international community to this topic, which has contributed to developing a solid normative framework and to raising awareness on the impact that sexual violence has on victims, families and societies. The appointment of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the establishment of a system-wide entity on women's equality and empowerment — UN-Women — has added a new dimension to the global efforts.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

As the Secretary-General noted in his report, national courts remain the principal venue for holding individuals accountable for crimes of sexual violence. At the same time, the lack of adequate national capacity and expertise to investigate and prosecute acts of sexual violence remains one of the main impediments to ensuring accountability.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

We note, in that regard, the efforts of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was established pursuant to resolution 1888 (2009), aimed at strengthening the capacity of national rule-of-law and justice actors.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

The Secretary-General also noted in his report that “The focus of international criminal justice and mixed tribunals on combating acts of sexual violence, including rape, in the context of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, represents an important complement to national efforts.” (S/2013/149, para. 112). Indeed, where national authorities fail to take action, the international community should play a more proactive role in ensuring an appropriate response.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

Unfortunately, not all grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including acts of sexual violence, have received due attention and response at the international and regional levels. Measures that are more resolute and targeted are required to end impunity in such situations. Commitments to protection efforts must be free of selectivity and politically motivated approaches and preferences. In that regard, Azerbaijan notes the role played by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict pursuant to her mandate.

Country

Azerbaijan

Extracts

It is also essential to employ all other available means to address sexual violence in conflict, including mandating international commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions and supporting the implementation of their recommendations. We concur with the Secretary-General that those responsible for sexual violence and other human rights violations must be excluded from all branches of Government and that the principle of no amnesty for perpetrators of such offenses must be applied and implemented.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

As we know, sexual violence in conflict is vicious and pitiless, and there is no sign of it abating. Rather, the roll call of shame continues to grow ever longer. Insofar as today's debate strengthens our resolve and brings us closer to achieving a real and life-changing impact on the ground, it will indeed be worthwhile.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

Projects have also been set up for the economic empowerment of women through the establishment of a women's portfolio, a revolving fund for women for the purpose of savings and economic development, and small-business projects that benefit women, set up by the Zakat department. I would also cite a project involving young graduates, the establishment of a group for working women, and other family-oriented undertakings. Empowerment programmes are focusing on rural women, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

We have made considerable progress in terms of empowering women and strengthening their participation. For example, laws were enacted on equality of salary and retirement age. The electoral law of 2008 increased women's participation in Parliament; representation is now at 27 per cent. Women have been able to run for office and vote since laws to that effect were enacted in the 1950s and 1960s.

Country

Sudan

Extracts

In that context, I would like to underscore that the Sudan's framework cooperation agreement with South Sudan will have a positive impact in promoting cooperation and assisting women in both countries, in addition to eliminating sexual violence in conflict. We should note that our disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes have, in coordination with specialized agencies of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme and UN-Women, given top priority to women. The aim is to implement a work plan pursuant to resolution 1325 (2000).

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Thank you, Madam President, for organizing this event and for your presence today. Let me also thank you for the expressions of sympathy to the American people. I'd also like to thank Secretary-General Ban, Special Representative Bangura for their briefings, and Madame Keita for helping us better understand how women in Mali are combating sexual violence. Women's civil society organizations are making critical contributions in this area and need our support.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

At the community level, improving prevention of sexual violence requires better understanding of existing protection mechanisms and leveraging grassroots networks that can provide local information to inform prevention efforts. There is progress in this area, for example, the Community Policing Centers run by displaced persons in camps in Darfur and the enlistment of imams as advocates for sexual violence prevention in South Darfur.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

For UN missions, better prevention involves equipping peacekeepers and civilian staff with the guidance and expertise to respond to early information about threats of large-scale abuses. The training modules designed by the United Nations are a positive step in that direction, as is the creation of the UN International Network of Female Police Peacekeepers, which links over a thousand UN female police officers around the world to share best practices as well as advocate and mentor female police.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Bringing deeper gender expertise to UN field missions is essential for enhanced prevention of sexual violence. UN leadership in New York and in the field should commit to greater presence of gender experts and women protection advisors in UN missions. Furthermore, the deployment of such experts should be routine in UN technical assessment missions. We note the particular need for this expertise in Libya to address the root causes of sexual violence perpetrated during the conflict and the resulting trauma.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

Encouraging parties to conflict to discuss sexual violence within their ranks, though challenging, is another critical avenue of prevention. The agreements that Special Representative Bangura brokered in the Central African Republic are models of this engagement. Changing behavior of armed parties requires political will as well as better monitoring and reporting and, where appropriate, the credible threat of consequences, such as "naming and shaming" and sanctions. Furthermore, mediators and envoys should routinely address conflict-related sexual violence in their ceasefire and peace negotiations.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

These issues are hardly theoretical. The scourge of sexual violence persists. We are alarmed by horrific abuses occurring in Syria, including against men and boys, and we reaffirm that those responsible for violations of international law and human rights will be held accountable. The United States continues to support the documenting of evidence of atrocities committed by all sides for use in future Syrian-led transitional justice and accountability processes. Beyond Syria, the United States has proven its commitment to prevent and address gender-based violence around the world, providing more than $100 million in 2012 to these efforts.

Country

United States of America

Extracts

In closing, I want to commend the excellent work Special Representative Bangura and her staff are doing, and urge the entire UN system to give due attention to prevention efforts and facilitate the deployment of necessary expertise to conflict areas. The United States looks forward to continuing collaboration with all those who seek to end the scourge of sexual violence in conflict, including through a new Council resolution to address outstanding challenges on these issues.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

Peacekeeping operations are another important pillar contributing to the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence. Local populations and international public opinion have high expectations concerning the role of United Nations peacekeepers in preventing sexual violence. In that regard, adequate training remains key, not only to ensure that peacekeepers acquire a proper understanding of how to address cases of sexual violence, but also to enable them to apply concrete prevention strategies.

Country

Brazil

Extracts

That preventive role requires resources compatible with the magnitude of the tasks involved. Brazil has taken some meaningful steps. We have signed a letter of intent with UN-Women to deepen our cooperation regarding the training of peacekeepers on gender issues and the promotion of South-South cooperation on gender issues involving peacekeeping training centres in Latin America and Africa. Furthermore, Brazil has been involved in cooperation activities with a number of countries emerging from conflict in areas related to sexual violence. The Brazilian Cooperation Agency has, for instance, been working with the United Nations Population Fund in Haiti and Guinea-Bissau to build institutional capacity to deal with victims of gender- based violence in areas such as health, justice and security.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We are highly aware of the priority that must be given to developing and building the capacity of national institutions, in particular the health, judicial and social welfare systems, as well as local civil society networks. That is certainly an area where public-private partnerships are of particular relevance.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

It is also worth mentioning the critical role of women's civil society organizations in supporting the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding. That was precisely the approach taken in the presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/23) adopted under our presidency of the Security Council in October 2012. In that statement, as part of the fight against impunity for perpetrators of sexual and gender- based crimes, the Council categorically condemned all violations of international law committed against women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.

Country

Guatemala

Extracts

We believe that another step in the right direction is the judgment in the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. Although he was not charged with crimes of sexual slavery and rape, the judgment against him includes specific guidance on the reparations to be made to the victims of sexual violence, thus making possible specific reparation for the immediate and long-term harm experienced by the victims. That act of international justice affords hope, dignity and compensation to the victims and enforces accountability for the perpetrators.

Country

Italy

Extracts

There are key early-warning and conflict- prevention tools that the international community can use to prevent such heinous acts. For example, timely briefings to the Security Council by the Secretary- General's Special Representative and by UN-Women; the roll-out of United Nations system monitoring, analysis and reporting arrangements; and the inclusion of women's protection advisers in peacekeeping missions and political missions.

Country

Italy

Extracts

At the same time, we need a powerful response. Again, the Security Council needs to step up pressure on perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflicts through the adoption of targeted measures by the relevant Sanctions Committees. When there is no ad hoc committee, the Council should close any protection or impunity gaps. The Council should incorporate measures on sexual violence in all the relevant country resolutions and in the authorization and renewal of the mandates of peacekeeping and special political missions.